Your 3 nonfiction essays are due today!
Sedaris Quiz
Answer 5 of the following questions about the book using specific details. You may use your book. Post your answers as comments here.
1. What better place to start a discussion of a Sedaris book than with the parts you find the funniest? Which parts make you LOL (laugh out loud)?
2. Are there sections of the book you feel are snide or mean-spirited? Perhaps his criticism of Americans who visit Europe dressed "as if you've come to mow its lawns." Or perhaps the piece about his stint as a writing teacher. Is petulance a part of Sedaris's schtick...his charm?
3. Talk about the Sedaris family, in particular his parents. How do they come across? Whom does he feel closest to? Sedaris makes an interesting statement about his father: it was a mystery that "a man could father six children who shared absolutely none of his interests." Is that unusual?
4. David Sedaris is a descendant of Woody Allen's brand of humor—personal idiosyncrasies or neuroses raised to an art form. What does Sedaris reveal about himself, his insecurities, angst, secret hostilities, and do you find those parts funny or somewhat touching, even sad? Actually, do you like Sedaris as he reveals himself in his book?
5. Sedaris has a number of obvious biases. Identify at least two of them and explain why this bias may exist for him.
1. The part that made me laugh the most was definitely “Big Boy”. It’s about him raking a shit! Come on, how does that not make you laugh!
ReplyDelete2. There were some essays that were mean-spirited, but they were all in perspective. Now that I think about it, Sedaris expresses his views in a manner that seems mean, but it to me, it really wasn’t mean. I don’t know. I just think that Sedaris just has his views, and some things just piss him off.
3. The Sedaris family is strange. His dad seems to be like the mother. I can’t really say whom Sedaris seems to be closer to. It’s a little confusing to me. But the quote doesn’t seem unusual. You see it today. Many father’s and mother’s raise their children, but their children seem to have little to no interests that are in common with their parents. So this seems usual because in this day-and-age, you see all over the place.
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5. Sedaris feels that Europeans who got immigrate to the United States is wrong because he feels that they are annoying, and it gets old quick. Another bias to me is in “Jesus Shaves”. This bias is the fact that Sedaris doesn’t like how the French believe that a magical flying bell brings them candy on Easter.
6. I think that Sedaris’s comic tone on homosexuality does not take away from the issues. Sedaris makes fun of them so people can relate a common experience to that. The fact that he makes these issues light does make them easier to discuss. I like Sedaris in these sections because I struggle with my orientation. When I read these sections, it made me feel as if I really had nothing to worry about.
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1. I probably found "You Can't Kill the Rooster" to be hilarious because I can relate to it. I have a have a relationship with a family member who acts like that as well. It was nice to see a story indirectly refer to my life. I think the last chapter "I'll Have What He's Wearing" was able to make me openly chuckle to myself out loud. I just found his father's habit ridiculous.
ReplyDelete2. While I did find find Sedaris's mannerisms snide, I did find that it added to his charm. I think we've all shared that moment where we felt it was absolutely justified that we think hateful thoughts about someone and ridicule their way of life.
3. I think David's family is a little crazy. His mother occasionally gets drunk and at certain points in the novel spouts nonsense that seems like they were originally pent-up thoughts and feelings she had yet to express. His father is definitely worse. He tried living out his dreams through his children despite their disinterest in playing instruments,and has developed a few strange habits from his childhood. For example, he stores food anywhere due to his teachings during the Great Depression, when he was a child.
4.David reveals that he's a normal slightly-troubled individual. I think the negative opinions might outweigh the amount of positive viewpoints he has. As I progressed through the novel, I found that I identified with David. My thought process pretty much works the same way. His opinions on tourists, his disinterest with things that his parents favor, and his opinion on New Yorkers in general all seem familiar to me.
6. When used appropriately humor can soften most topics (as long as it's not in bad taste). I think the comic tone makes the issues easier to handle. In retrospect,I should somewhat dislike his father for trying to force his dreams on his children. Referring to a girl who nearly died on a nefarious death contraption-carnival ride, would be a lot more uncomfortable if it wasn't taken lightly.
1) Obviously the funniest part was Big Boy i mean really? That was just gross but I'm sure that we all can relate to poop seeing as we all take them but I have went into a bathroom and didn't want to get the blame for taking a crap when I didn't. Another funny one was When he first talks about going to France with Hugh and how he only knows how to say stupid simple words. I don't know why i find this funny but it just is. Oh and how Amy would like to be different people that was funny to because of that fatty suit.
ReplyDelete3) To me his family seemed loving but like they didn't really know how to show there love that well. Like their father loves his daughters so much and he loves their beauty but he would tell them so bluntly that they looked fat or to go fix themselves up. He was rough on Sedaris but you could tell he loves him. And with his brother his father just lets his curse at him and say anything he wants, I'm not sure what that means but it showed that the father has layed back on discipline.
4) The way Sedaris presents himself in such a great way. It seems like at times he feels embarrassed of him self but he talks about himself using a joke, like when he talks about teaching a class he doesn't know how to teach or learning a language he just can't get. He reveals that he is hard headed but he still isn't a quitter seeing as he stuck with the french class. He reveals that his sister Amy id kind of like his idol and he thinks she is great.
6) When Sedaris uses comic relief it actually lightens the mood. Maybe that's not such a good things because when he talks about sympathetic things i don't really focus on them. When he talks about being gay he sort of makes fun of himself but I find it funny and I end up not caring about him being gay, not that I ever care about people being gay.
8) Sedaris realizes after moving to France that America sucks. He says that the people are so kind and it is beautiful. He thinks back to New york and how crowded and rude everyone was and he misses it but he ends up really loving France. He can't remember how to speak the language correctly but he loves France.