"Temptation of Two" Response

In “Temptation of Two,” Susan Fox Rogers showcases the natural, human desire for companionship and the wealth of experiences that can result from it. Though Rogers initially believed that “Going solo is the adventure,” she recognizes that without being with her friend Emily, she “never would have left at seven-thirty alone, never would have paddled backward or raced in the dark or ridden in the dark, or stood at Cheviot admiring the lights from the factory across the river.” More so, Rogers’ desire to express her affection to Emily after sharing those experiences far outweighs that of living a “solitary life.”

The line, “Each dip into the water is deep and slow...like treading, with my arms, in the thickets milkshake,” representatively depicts the sense of sluggishness Rogers is experiencing, a sluggishness that helps to lead her to feeling calm and relaxed regarding setting out alone on the Cheviot River, in contrast to her initial fear and nervousness. In a different example, Roger describes witnessing the crashing of frozen blocks of ice against each other in the river, stating that “It was a near-miraculous sound, eerie and so utterly full of death that it shook me for days,” which adds dread upon the already-building sense of uncertainty the writer has regarding the safety of venturing out alone.