Me Talk Pretty One Day

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

Analyzing Identity and Language in David Sedaris’s Later Work

In this activity, students will research, read, and present a different essay that David Sedaris published after Me Talk Pretty One Day.

In this activity, you will delve into the evolving themes of self-identity and language by reading the later works of David Sedaris.

Preparation:

1. Gather Resources:

• Using the library, the internet, or a research method of your choice, find and select a collection of essays by David Sedaris published after Me Talk Pretty One Day (post-2000)

2. Choose an Essay: Pick an essay that focuses on the theme of self-identity or language.

Presentation:

• Introduction: Briefly introduce your chosen essay and its publication date.
• Content Analysis:
• Thematic Connection: Explain how the essay connects to a theme explored in Me Talk Pretty One Day.
• Does the essay revisit struggles with language acquisition or cultural adaptation?
• How does it portray the ongoing development of self-identity?
• Humor Analysis: Identify instances of humor in the essay.
• What techniques does Sedaris use (e.g., exaggeration, sarcasm, absurdity)?
• How does humor contribute to the effectiveness of the essay?
• Examples: Provide specific passages from the essay to illustrate your points.

Class Discussion:

• Open Forum: After each presentation, reflect on your work and the work of your peers, and then engage in a class discussion. Which topics and literary techniques reoccur between essays and analyses? How does the author’s voice or style change over time?

Assessment: Your work may be graded on your participation in class discussions, the quality of your presentation (content clarity, analysis, and examples), and/or your insightfulness in connecting the chosen essay to Me Talk Pretty One Day while analyzing the role of humor.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity fosters critical and analytical thinking skills, and it encourages a deeper understanding of the author’s craft. By delving into Sedaris’s recent works, students can gain a fresh perspective on his evolving thoughts on identity and language. As students are working, you may want to encourage them to share their favorite passages or humorous moments from the essays. You can find more of his work on The Paris Review or on his website. 

Differentiation Suggestion: This activity can be adapted to a smaller group setting with longer presentations and more in-depth discussions. If students are having a hard time getting started, the instructor can provide a list of potential essays or offer guidance in selecting appropriate works. For a more group-centered approach, the teacher could lead the class through a discussion about how their chosen essay differs from or builds upon the themes in Me Talk Pretty One Day. Students might reflect on the Activity in a written response using the following questions as a guide: What are the broader societal or cultural issues reflected in your essay? Does the humor make the essay more relatable or accessible? Are there any instances where humor might overshadow the deeper themes?

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. One of the main themes of this book is Language.

• How does Sedaris use language to challenge the expectations of authority figures? (topic sentence)
• In the body of your essay, choose two or three instances in which authority figures attempt to control Sedaris’s speech and explain how he reacts to these restrictions.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, comment on Sedaris’s message about how language can either bring people together or alienate them.

2. Sedaris often confesses his jealousy of others.

• What types of qualities does Sedaris envy in other people? (topic sentence)
• In the body of your essay, choose two or three different people that Sedaris is jealous of and discuss what this jealousy says about him.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, state how this confession connects to the theme of Self-Identity and Sexuality.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Sedaris frequently tells honest, blunt stories about members of his family, particularly his father, his mother, and his sister, Amy. Choose one of these three family members and discuss their role in Sedaris’s life. What are their most important qualities? How does his relationship with this family member develop throughout the book?

2. While Sedaris’s essays are technically nonfiction, he incorporates many fantastic elements within them that are essentially fiction. Why does Sedaris switch so frequently between Imagination and Reality? In what ways is this book a commentary on his ability to escape into fantasy?

3. In his essays, Sedaris uses many literary techniques, including humorous diction, metaphor, and juxtaposition, as well as structural choices like repetition and narrative arcs. Choose one of Sedaris’s essays for the basis of your rhetorical analysis. How does Sedaris use language to persuade his audience, and what are the effects of the choices he makes in your chosen essay? What message is he trying to convey, and why?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Who is the “agent” that takes young Sedaris out of class?

A) A speech pathologist

B) A guidance counselor

C) The vice principal

D) The janitor

2. Which of the following best describes Sedaris’s sister, Amy?

A) Difficult, grouchy, lazy

B) Masterful, nosy, sentimental

C) Secretive, peaceful, majestic

D) Eccentric, funny, supportive

3. Which of the following statements from Chapter 1 shows young Sedaris’s defiance of his speech therapist’s wishes?

A) “Yes, State. They’re the greatest.”

B) “She was probably thinking about the lines of SPEECH THERAPY LAB, though a more appropriate marker would have read FUTURE HOMOSEXUALS OF AMERICA.”

C) “On the final day of the year we take down the pine tree in our living room and eat marine life.” 

D) “She moved her hands toward her face, and I worried that she might start to cry.”

4. Who or what is “The Rooster,” as referenced in Chapter 5?

A) Sedaris’s brother, Paul

B) The name that Sedaris gives to his guitar 

C) The name of Sedaris’s performance piece  

D) Sedaris’s boyfriend, Hugh

5. Based on Chapter 6, “The Youth in Asia,” which of the following statements would Sedaris most agree with?

A) People need to keep the lives of their pets in perspective.

B) One must be a sadist to be a veterinarian.

C)  Americans’ fascination with pets leads to overbreeding.

D) The loss of a pet can provoke intense mourning.

6. What are Celebrity Corner, Feedbag Forum, and Pillow Talk?

A) Sessions during Sedaris’s ill-fated writing classes

B) Titles of Sedaris’s performance art pieces

C) Names Sedaris gives for his parents’ behavior

D) Impossible tasks given to Sedaris by Valencia

7. Which best describes Sedaris’s relationship with New York restaurants?

A) He finds the restaurants pretentious.

B) He only patronizes a single restaurant.

C) He is glad the restaurants outlawed smoking.

D) He enjoys visiting a variety of restaurants.

8. How does the visit from Alisha and Bonnie affect Sedaris?

A) It makes him second-guess his love for New York.

B) It makes him unsure of his place as a real New Yorker.

C) It makes him question his friendship with Alisha.

D) It makes him consider moving back to North Carolina.

9. What technological transition does Sedaris’s sister, Amy, assist him with?

A) The move from a film camera to a digital camera

B) The move from a typewriter to a computer

C) The move from a manual transmission car to a standard

D) The move from letter writing to sending email

10. How does Sedaris interact with the other students in his French class?

A) He doesn’t know how to communicate with them.

B) He hopes to outperform them in assessments.

C) He fantasizes about their intimate personal lives.

D) He bonds with them over their fear of the teacher.

11. Which of the following best states the difference between Sedaris and his father?

A) Sedaris has musical talents, while his father is a practical joker.

B) Sedaris is highly imaginative, while his father is scientifically minded.

C) Sedaris thinks in logical terms, while his father follows flights of fancy.

D) Sedaris is optimistic, while his father is morose.

12. What technique is used in the title of Chapter 17, “The Tapeworm Is In”?

A) Flashback

B) Hyperbole

C) Parody

D) Pun

13. What does Sedaris’s encounter with the strangers on the Métro reveal about him?

A) He is sensitive to other people’s criticism.

B) He often gets confused when translating French.

C) He enjoys exposing the ignorance of others.

D) He has a special skill at spotting Americans.

14. How would Sedaris describe the event with the vachettes?

A) Amusing

B) Infuriating

C) Inspiring

D) Pointless

15. Why does Hugh receive a letter asking him to retake a test?

A) His results were inconclusive due to Sedaris’s meddling.

B) His results put him close to qualifying for an elite group.

C) He got overwhelmed by the test and wasn’t able to finish.

D) He ended up with a non-traditional result that interested the researchers.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How does Hugh serve as a foil for Sedaris? What insecurities does Sedaris have that Hugh seems impervious to?

2. How do soap operas factor into both Sedaris’s life and his writing?