“Me talk pretty one day” is a collection of works by David Sedaris. One of the essays titled the same as the book is a recollection of Sedaris’s move to France after he enrolled in a language school. Sedaris describes his feelings throughout this experience, the intimidation he felt, and his struggles. In “Me talk pretty on the day,” Sedaris considers his experience of trying to learn French and the intimidation he felt, showing the readers the struggles anyone can experience.
Sedaris describes him living in France and his attempts to learn French. Moreover, he did this “at the age of forty-one,” which for most people would be unusual (Sedaris, 2000, p. 166). Although Sedaris tried to learn French, he was intimidated by the others, who in his view spoke better than him, despite having accents. This experience is something most people can relate to, for example, when moving to a new school or city and feeling lost.
Apart from the other student’s ability to talk, Sedaris had difficulty understanding the French-speaking teacher and felt intimidated by the way others dressed. Again, these feelings are something that most people can relate to, and Sedaris describes this experience with ease and humor. For example, he writes: “if you have not meimslsxp or lgpdmurct by this time, then you should not be in this room. Has everyone apzkiubjxow?” Sedaris, 2000, p. 166). This approach helps the writer connect with the reader because everyone must have experienced moments when they felt lost.
Overall, “Me Talk Pretty One Day” is about Sedaris’ experience as the author attempted to learn French. Despite having some knowledge, he felt lost and intimidated. By humorously describing this experience, Sedaris created a relatable reading that most people can understand. From this writing activity, I have learned how to analyze an essay written unusually, and this will help me approach any work of literature with critical thinking in the future.
Reference
Sedaris, D. (2001). Me talk pretty one day. Boston, MA: Back Bay Books.