"Irreconcilable Dissonance" by Brian Doyle

The author, Brian Doyle, talks about divorce, how common it has become, and how frequent it is happening. He also describes the many people he knows that are getting divorced.

            Doyle is credible since he is in fact married. He reads in the newspaper of people reasoning they got divorced due to unruly public behaviors. Once he even accounted the first time he saw a couple’s divorce. Although he is not divorced, he has witnessed others getting a divorce, making him experienced of the topic.

            Ironically, Doyle is talking about divorce when he is not. As he states in the first sentence, he is “still married”. So, his talking about divorce is out of context (in his life).

            Doyle’s purpose was that he was ridiculing the reasons for why people are getting a divorce. He says, “I read about a woman who divorced her husband because he picked his nose” (34). He is trying to point out that the reasons for people divorcing are unreasonable and petty.

            Believe it or not, Doyle is speaking directly to those who are married. In the final paragraph he says, “…she might end your marriage in a moment, and you might end hers…” (35). He is trying to show that anyone’s marriage can end in a second.

He compares marriage and death by using a metaphor. He states, “The instant there is no chance of death is the moment of death” (35). Everyone who is married has a chance of divorce, if not, then they are either single or already divorced.

Brian Doyle accomplished his purpose; he wanted to show the reader how much divorce has become ridiculous. He supports his argument by giving many examples of couples divorcing and their reasons for it. He emphasizes the over usage of the word “tired” by so many people who have gotten divorced. Doyle realizes that the same thing that “makes marriage work is also what causes marriage to dissolve” (35), as in all the little surprises that spark a relationship, the “spark” can be either good or bad determining where one’s relationship stands.

Divorce Rates-
Divorce rates have increased throughout the years and are becoming more and more common. (www.bsos.umd.edu )