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Mitchell 1
Elven Mitchell
Professor Fagin
English 101, Section 7005
February 27, 2008
The Passage of Generations: Scott Russell Sanders' "The Inheritance of Tools"
What were three generations of men doing on that scorching, hot, summer day,
lying under the hood of a vintage pick-up? They were doing more than diagnosing a
worn out old motor, sweating from the sun’s baking heat and drinking impossibly warm
Pepsi. There was an inheritance being handed down to the youngest of the group, me.
In Scott Russell Sanders’ essay, “The Inheritance of Tools,” he explores the
knowledge, values and ideals that are handed down from one generation to the next.
He uses examples throughout his writing to explain the principles, traits and morals he
inherited from his father and grandfather and how he in turn is instilling them in his
children. As I read this essay, I thought about days long past, standing in the shade of
the rusty hood of an old Chevy truck. My grandfather and father explained the mysteries
and complexities of the internal combustion engine and handed down the urban legends
related to vehicle repair. They professed that it was imperative that a man know how to
fix things for himself, if not to save money and not be wasteful, then at least to build selfconfidence
in being self-sufficient.
The actual physical tools handed down to me were practically nonexistent. They
somehow seemed to get lost in the space-time continuum. I imagine it is possible that
they simply bounced down the road after being left under the hood or on the bumper of
a recently-resurrected vehicle. Sanders, in contrast, received some exquisite tools of a
simple nature. They seem to represent a lifestyle and value system based on morality.
He appreciates these tools not just for their face value, but for their representation of...