One very effective use of genre in Hayley Kidd's essay, titled "Swimming to Heaven," was the use of an obituary. Kidd builds up to the fact that something is wrong with Jarrod, but she does not come out and say it directly. The beginning of her essay explains that she thought Jarrod was perfect and in her ten-year-old eyes he had everything. However, she alludes to the fact something is wrong with Jarrod because of her word choice, saying that on the outside Jarrod seemed perfect. All of this foreshadows Jarrod’s suicide, however her use of his obituary makes the news even more dramatic than it already is. If Kidd had simply used a traditional linear storytelling approach and just said Jarrod died of a drug overdose it would not have had as much of an emotional impact. An obituary is a very recognizable form of writing and there are a lot of emotions attached to it. Using an obituary evoked those emotions where as just writing that Jarrod died most likely would not have.
An additional genre I would have advised Kidd to use would be dialogue between Jarrod's sister Jessica and herself. Kidd said Jessica was her babysitter and was also Jarrod's twin. These relationships are very significant and should have been addressed more. I would have advised that she add this genre after the funeral. Kidd mentions how calm Jessica seemed at the funeral when she went up to give her condolences but she does not elaborate any further. There was a gap in time from the funeral to her swimming and I think more of an explanation could have been added there. This would add more depth to Jarrod’s suicide since most likely, and as Kidd admits, the details for her are a little hazy. Jessica’s perspective would have given the audience a clearer picture of what happened that day.
