Analysis Of Me Talk Pretty One Day Sedaris

Writing a narrative is not just about the point of the story, but rather how the author is able to get that point across. Without suspense, there would be nothing to compel the audience to read on, without structure there would be nothing to guide the reader throughout the story and without point of view, the narrative would lose the personal touch that keeps the reader engaged and related to the story. These traits and many more are what make a narrative successful and what help the reader not only connect to the narrator, but ultimately understand their message. David Sedaris, a comedic writer, is able to execute these traits successfully in “Me Talk Pretty One Day”. By adding key dialogue, showcasing his perspective throughout the writing and arranging the structure in subsequent order, Sedaris is able to convey a compelling narrative that holds the reader’s attention. Reading a story with little to no emotion from the narrator can lead the audience to feel unattached from the writing; they may lose focus in what they are reading or even stop altogether. Giving
Sedaris was able to develop this character mostly by the conversations she held with the students. For example, “...saying that she loved everything life had to offer...and [she] said ‘Oh,yeah? And do you love your little war?”(Sedaris, 304). Although many of the comments she made were exaggerated, they were able to showcase what the teacher was really like and what the students actually thought of her. This is clearly shown in paragraph 25 and 26 of page 305, when the students confide in each other their mutual dislike for the class, “My only comfort was the knowledge that I was not alone…Sometimes me cry alone at night.” This not only adds to the comedic aspect of the story, but displays Sedaris’s point that the students were miserable without actually saying