Two or Three Things I Know for Sure

Two or Three Things I Know For Sure by Dorothy Allison is one of the easiest and most enjoyable reads thus far for this semester. It is full of insight that creates an understanding of learning about one's self and becoming one with your inner being. As corny as it may sound, I was enlightened by Allison's writing and wanted more. One of the quotes that stuck out to me was, “Two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that if we are not beautiful to each other, we cannot know beauty in any form." This quote particularly stuck out to me because of it's applicability in everyday life. If it's one thing I've learned 'for sure', it's that without being true to yourself, you cannot be true to anyone else. Falsifying your personality only attracts those who are fake with you. And though it may seem cliche, Allison's quote is incredibly true. Everything starts with you! I know Allison's literature may not have been intentionally written as a self-help, but this was what I got as an overall message from Two or Three Things I know For Sure.



As Two or Three Things I know For Sure was written as a memoir in regards to the women in Allison's life, I feel it cannot be compared to the memoir that Richard Rodriguez has written. The reason being due to such different lives and outlooks on life, in general. Rodriguez exudes a tone that is more of reprimand for the family that he grew into, whereas Allison exudes a positive tone and takes the experiences from her past and makes them relay a message that doesn't leave the reader wondering "why does she seem so negative?" or "I don't see the reason in making the situation negative."

I wanted to have more insight on what other readers though about her 94 page memoir, so I went online to google some reviews and it was very hit or miss. Some readers were moved by her memoirs and her ability to relate her life situations to that of her family's and others were left wanting to know more. A good majority of the reviews I came across on Amazon.com specified that they thought perhaps she engaged her personal experiences more throughout her fictional pieces. Although, I was engaged throughout her memoirs, I was left wanting more, as well. 94 pages of an account that sometimes had nothing to do with Dorothy Allison made it seem like it was written in such a short period that she barely had time to include her own personal accounts as well. It's hard to tell. Maybe the shortness is what Allison wanted - a purposely done account to create a mystery on her as a person and an author. A tease - if you will - to get readers to purchase her other pieces of works to find some kind of personal account that is lacking in Two or Three Things I Know for Sure.

Although, I can only imagine how hard it was for Allison to write about the sexual abuse that she opens a window to peer into. Perhaps, the shortness of the memoir was just enough and all that Allison felt the need to share with the world. On p. 3 of the memoirs, Allison remarks that the retelling of her story is meant to help her move forward and break from the barriers her past has put her through and held her back. These pages give Allison the chance to forewarn her readers that her past is common and though for some, it can be defining moment, she will not let it destroy her character. Her story is truly inspiring, but I wish there was something more.