Firoozeh Dumas The F Word Analysis

Eleonora Cerros
English 96
Richard Compean, Ph.D.

The essay The F Word, written by Firoozeh Dumas, tells her interesting history of experiences related to her unpronounceable name and the way most Americans respond to unfamiliar, foreign names. Dumas presents this attractive essay that holds the reader’s attention by making it a very fun piece to read. Using humor as a big part of the writing, she also uses an informal, entertaining tone to capture the audience’s attention and keep them engaged. Dumas starts The F word by showing how most of the people in her family have names with multiple syllables and letters that are not prevalent in common American names. Many of them have meanings as well. She writes in a very conversational tone, as if telling a friend the story of her life. Unlike many essays, this one seems to be very creative in its use of informality. Especially in this case, this style is a smart idea.
The use of simple words let the reader know that the author is a person just like one of us.
It allows us to be able to connect to her reasoning and situations a lot easier. For instance, when she says, “It was like having those X-ray glasses that let you see people undressed, except that what I was seeing was far uglier than people’s underwear.” When using the word “you”, the author is keeping the audience in mind and we are reminded that we are on her side. There do not seem to be many technical words, which helps the reader. Due to the difficulties Firoozeh faced with people attempting to pronounce her name, she decided to adopt an American middle name and go by that. She brainstormed names that begin with an F. Her father suggested “Fifi” and her mother suggested “Farah.” She makes fun of these two names.
She comments about the first one: “Had I had a special affinity for French poodles or been considering a career in prostitution, I would’ve gone with that” and about the second name she thinks “Farrah Fawcett was at the height of her popularity and I didn’t want to be associated with somebody whose poster hung in every post pubescent boy’s bedroom.” Dumas writes like a person who is very good at turning personal experiences into hilarious tales. The best way to describe the style of this essay is to compare it to a swapping of past experiences at a family gathering and hoarsely attempting to tell them as the laughter in the room builds. As funny as her stories are regarding the zany antics of her parents, it is more refreshing to see that Firoozeh herself is willing to take a few punches. This genuine humility that she shows allows us to laugh WITH her rather than laugh AT her. The best parts will make readers laugh out loud, as when she waits in the medical clinic for a blood drawn, "As I waited patiently, the receptionist called out, ‘Fritzy, Fritzy!’” “Having been called Froozy, Frizzy, Fiorucci, and Frooz. I did not respond to ‘Fritzy.’ The receptionist tried again, Fritzy, Fritzy DumbAss.” Dumas is particularly good making fun of herself and her unpronounceable name. She finds the funny in expected, often uncomfortable, spaces in American life. Her shimmering insights reveal the depth of our shared humanity and our struggles to recognize it. Dumas writes with a light touch. Her descriptions of American culture and her experiences with school, jobs, and language could be the observations of anyone new to this country, and her humor allows natives and nonnatives alike to look at America with new insight. Dumas wants us to be able to enjoy learning about the struggles of foreign people, such as herself, had to go through. This essay is entertaining to read, which in itself, is a success. Dumas wants us to be able to connect with her experiences and be able to relate to her perspective. She gives first-hand accounts of her childhood upbringing using conversational tone and humor.