Summary Of The Short Story 'Grounding Out'

Words: 434
Pages: 2

Emotions are difficult, they are a state of mind deriving from one’s circumstance, mood, or relationship with others. In this short story, Barry and Moira have a difficult time forming and expressing their emotions to each other. Which therefore, influences Barry to make this irrational decision to go rock climbing. Barry believes that this rocking climbing trip maybe the last time that he gets the chance to communicate with his daughter, about the emotions that he keeps to himself. As for Moira she takes this rock climbing trip as a time to express her feelings and reasoning for the decisions that she's been making, such as collage. Before and as the trip started to come closer Moira was ignorant about the decision her father had made, “she was prepared to sneer at everything”; but instead …show more content…
But when they started climbing higher it got more difficult as did their relationship, when Moira started growing up and forming herself; their relationship started to become more difficult due to the fact that they both had different opinions and understanding of important decisions. Barry and Moira have an emotional distance between them, this rock climbing trip forces them to communicate or their relationship may “ground out”. “Grounding out” is a code for disaster, hitting the ground from a great height; can result in death or severe trauma in the literal sense. In the metaphorical sense, it can point to disaster in Moira’s personal life or in their relationship. When Moira’s makes the decision to go to a collage farther away than the local college this causes a big obstacle in their relationship due to the fact Barry is afraid of something happening to her or being alone. Or if Barry were to potentially let go of the “rope”, their father daughter relationship; Moira could ground out like Ron