Me Talk Pretty One Day

654 Words3 Pages
Writing with a purpose, addressing and appealing to an audience, interesting style, using vocabulary appropriately, establishing a voice, and incorporating theme are all characteristics of a novel worthy of study in an AP language and composition class. And David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty One Day is a collection of essays that includes all of these aspects and more, in a wise and witty way. Although it is a mere 272 pages, Sedaris covers a lot of ground by incorporating an array of stories. The selection of stories seems random and sometimes bizarre. But collectively, Sedaris uses these stories to deliver a powerful message in his own inimitable, humorous voice. Me Talk Pretty One Day is a novel worthy of study in an AP English class not only because it is well written and has a unique style, but also because of Sedaris’ underlying message of acceptance. First of all, Me Talk Pretty One Day is and should be studied in AP language and composition classes due to the authors one of a kind style. Sedaris uses a multitude of techniques to elevate his writing and make his memoir more entertaining. One technique he certainly utilizes more than once is exaggeration. By embellishing the story, he heightens the enjoyment for his reader, and also gets his point across more clearly. Furthermore, satire and sarcasm help illustrate what Sedaris finds absurd, while still making it humorous. In “I Pledge Allegiance to the Bag,” Sedaris ridicules American tendencies by writing, “Trains don’t normally sneak up on people. Unless they’re derailed, you pretty much know where to find them…” (216). He takes advantage of this anecdote to point out how preposterous people can be. Not only is his writing style jam-packed with cleverness and wit, but he also uses common vernacular to relate with the average American and make it a pleasurable book. Even though there is some more
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