David Sedaris
Perhaps, we are all a little strange in our own way. David Sedaris, in all of his writing, demonstrates the everyday absurdity of life in a way that is not pretentious, but passively observant. He does not assume that he is better than his subject, since many times he is his own subject, but instead he keenly probes people to find that one thing that makes them bizarre in his eyes. He conveys the not so favorable aspects of his interactions with his family life that are at times so unbelievable that they must be true - how could he make up something like being locked out by a drunkard mother as a child, or the character of his elder brother, Paul? Even more interesting is despite how horrible these situations are, how does Sedaris manage to convey them as humor? Through observing situations with a sharp and sarcastic perspective, Sedaris is able to unearth how each and every person has their own quark, something abnormal about them. In pointing out everyone's absurdity, many times his own, Sedaris creates humor. Sedaris sets up the scenarios that will be humorous through describing his encounters with this interesting aspect of people. These people range from family members to cabbies driving him around Amsterdam. In some situat
Similarly, he satirizes his brother, Paul in the essay "Rooster at the Hitchin' Post. Perception is the medium by which Sedaris qualifies himself as a writer. Despite this insecurity about things that are outside of his control, such as his culture or language, he knows himself in other ways and makes up for it. We don't know for sure, but in pinning that license to his chest, he inspires the sort of narrative that ultimately makes me proud to be an American (Six to Eight Black Men, 4). In many ways, Sedaris, being a homosexual, likens the stereotypical American to over-exert masculinity:I felt jealous, then bitter and was edging towards hostile when I remembered the blind hunter tramping off into the Michigan forest. All good writers must have this ability to look deep into his or her audience and find out what they want to read, while making sure that he or she wants to write it. He may find his way back to the car, or he may wander around for a week or two before stumbling through your front door. Sedaris, in his absurdity, and Rose both perceive the world in a manner consistent with Rose's approach - "Fuck this bullshit" (Rose, 321). Referring to his youth, David Sedaris demonstrates his attempt to escape a life that seemed horrible and incompatible with who he really was when, in all actuality, all he had to do was be himself. Sedaris' irreverence of societal expectations is a ticking time bomb just searching for a facet of human absurdity (usually associated with American culture) to set it off. For instance, in his essay "Six to Eight Black Men" in which Sedaris criticizes the American conventions surrounding Christmas, he refers to the European tradition of celebrating Christmas with church and food instead of an emphasis on presents, "Its nothing I'd want for myself, but I suppose it's fine for those who prefer food and family to things of real value" (Six to Eight Black Men, 2). Sedaris attempts to also hold up a mirror to the reader and forces him or her to check themselves because he knows that his reader has their own absurdity.
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Acceptance Essays
