David Sedaris did not have a glamourous childhood, yet his memoirs in his autobiography Naked are compelling and attention-grabbing. As Sedaris writes about who he is, and how he came to be the man he is today, he recounts his humble beginnings. Through contrast and and humor, he tells the story of his childhood in an interesting and through-provoking manner.
The first essay of the book is titled "Chipped Beef". The essay starts out by recounting Sedaris's "anit-childhood", the childhood he wanted but did not have. He talks about his rich family, who is so beautiful they are asked to sit in the front row of church, as to not distract those attending the service, and are often stopped on the street and asked for autographs. The memoir is actually quite confusing at first, though very amusing. One is not completely certain that Sedaris is not speaking truthfully about his childhood until his mother wakes him from a dream, and Searis is brought back to reality.
The reality of his life if quite different than his fantasy. His parents have many children, and struggle to support them all. Sedaris is angry at his life sometimes, wanting a more luxurious one. This stark contrast, which is sharpened by the humor of his "dream" paints a picture for the reader of Sedaris's lot in life, allowing them to better understand where he
comes from.
No comments:
Post a Comment