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 situations, David Sedaris will prompt a person in order to get at their absurdity. For instance, whenever he inquires about a place, he asks about their gun laws or their Christmas traditions. (Six to Eight Black Men) Since these are issues that, although appearing a little off base, delve into the psyche of not only a person, but a whole society – these are topics from which one can draw a lot about a culture. In his family life, he seems to do this with his father, albeit unintentionally. When his father brings a cigar into his room to celebrate Sedaris' brother's birth, he satirizes his father's unacceptance of Sedaris' homosexuality by stating to him, "I hope you aren&...