Under The Influence Analysis

Under the Influence by Scott Russell Sanders describes the effects of his father’s alcoholism upon his family and children. Sanders writes his personal essay from the present perspective by reflecting upon the emotional scars of his youth which have leaked into his adulthood. “The story continues for my brother, my sister, my mother, and me, and will continue so long as memory holds” (Sanders 733). Sanders’ anecdote engages a specific audience, children of alcoholics. Due to the common grounds shared by the audience and Sanders, a person can evaluate the audience by examining Sanders’ essay.
Primarily a demographic analysis of the audience can be conducted. Overall the audience includes a homogenous group of victims that have suffered the

The audience is aware of the detrimental effects that alcoholism can have upon a person’s life. “Life with him and the loss of him twisted us into shapes that will be familiar to other sons and daughters of alcoholics. My brother became a rebel, my sister retreated into shyness, I played the stalwart and dutiful son who would hold the family together” (Sanders 743). On the other hand, the audience is ignorant of alcoholism, “While growing up on the back roads and in the country schools and cramped Methodist churches of Ohio and Tennessee, I never heard the word alcoholism, never happened across it in books or magazines. In the nearby towns, there were no addiction treatment programs, no community mental health centers, no Alcoholics Anonymous chapters, no therapists. Left alone with our grievous secret, we had no way of understanding Father 's drinking except as an act of will, a deliberate folly or cruelty, a moral weakness, a sin” (Sanders 737). The audience also learns the first step in the healing process to confess the family member’s addition. A person like a balloon which can hold a limited volume before exploding. Confession is needed to remove the excess volume. In essence, confession needed to relieve the burden and guilt that weight upon one’s shoulders.
In conclusion, Scott Russell Sanders writes about his experience as a child of an alcoholic in his personal essay “Under the Influence”. He describes his father’s effect upon his family his children. His testimony attracts an audience whose family members have been victims of alcoholism. Due to the common background of Sanders and the audience by scrutinizing Sanders’ story the audience can be analyzed. Overall, the demographics, deposition, and knowledge of the audience can be