People do not get to choose who their family is. They do not get to choose the personalities or social standings of the people they are related to. Sometimes, they have to find ways to cope with their family in order to have a functional family. In his autobiographical-memoir, “Chipped Beef,” David Sedaris recalls how he used to escape the harsh reality of his childhood by creating a stark and exaggerated contrast between his fantasy and real life to lead to his conclusion that people are stuck with their families and must compromise to create a healthy family dynamic. Sedaris’ true family situation was one with a feeling of neglect for his needs,a pattern of a new little sister being born every year, and a lack of nurturing parents, and
…show more content…
Sedaris ultimately reaches his conclusion that he is stuck in his real life and must make compromises to begin to be happier and more satisfied by appealing to pathos. Through his use of juxtaposition, Sedaris contrasts the harsh life that he had with the glamourous life of luxury that he desired. He often dreamed of another life, one that he believed he was meant to be living, and one that was vastly different than the one he ended up with. He says, “I wanted a home with a moat rather than a fence. In order to get a decent night's sleep, I needed an airport named in our honor.” Here, his use of juxtaposition emphasizes the differences between the life he had and the life he desired. He is implying that his life is not special, and he desires to be wealthy, well known, and sought after. Sedaris’ family was quite average, even below average in his opinion. He shows his desire to leave his average life and trade it in for one of lavish luxury and almost unrealistic glamour. He dreamed that his real family was out there looking for him. He says, “The life I'd been offered was completely unacceptable, but I never gave up hope that my real family might arrive at any moment, pressing the doorbell with their white-gloved …show more content…
When describing his fantasy world, Sedaris utilizes abstract language and words with positive connotations as well as hyperbole and an evident sense of humor. For example, he says, “When asked, most people say that my greatest asset is my skin, which glows--it really does! I have to tie a sock over my eyes in order to fall asleep at night.” In this quote, Sedaris uses very descriptive language, exaggeration, and humor to create a heightened sense of self, the way he imagines himself in his fantasy world. This is used to create the impression of a life where Sedaris is sitting in the lap of luxury and everyone cares about him. When speaking about his church, he describes the people as being distracted by his family’s beauty. Sedaris says, “At least with us seated in the front row, the congregation is finally facing forward, which is a step in the right direction. If it helps bring people closer to God, we'd be willing to perch on the pipe organ or lash ourselves to the original stainless-steel cross that hangs above the altar.” His use of hyperbole and satire emphasize the outrageous luxury that David Sedaris longed for in his life. He is in the eye of the public, which adds to the celebrity life he dreams of. His attention to detail and exaggeration proves how invested he is in his imaginary world, this explains even more that Sedaris has insecurities in his real life. In
Sedaris ultimately reaches his conclusion that he is stuck in his real life and must make compromises to begin to be happier and more satisfied by appealing to pathos. Through his use of juxtaposition, Sedaris contrasts the harsh life that he had with the glamourous life of luxury that he desired. He often dreamed of another life, one that he believed he was meant to be living, and one that was vastly different than the one he ended up with. He says, “I wanted a home with a moat rather than a fence. In order to get a decent night's sleep, I needed an airport named in our honor.” Here, his use of juxtaposition emphasizes the differences between the life he had and the life he desired. He is implying that his life is not special, and he desires to be wealthy, well known, and sought after. Sedaris’ family was quite average, even below average in his opinion. He shows his desire to leave his average life and trade it in for one of lavish luxury and almost unrealistic glamour. He dreamed that his real family was out there looking for him. He says, “The life I'd been offered was completely unacceptable, but I never gave up hope that my real family might arrive at any moment, pressing the doorbell with their white-gloved …show more content…
When describing his fantasy world, Sedaris utilizes abstract language and words with positive connotations as well as hyperbole and an evident sense of humor. For example, he says, “When asked, most people say that my greatest asset is my skin, which glows--it really does! I have to tie a sock over my eyes in order to fall asleep at night.” In this quote, Sedaris uses very descriptive language, exaggeration, and humor to create a heightened sense of self, the way he imagines himself in his fantasy world. This is used to create the impression of a life where Sedaris is sitting in the lap of luxury and everyone cares about him. When speaking about his church, he describes the people as being distracted by his family’s beauty. Sedaris says, “At least with us seated in the front row, the congregation is finally facing forward, which is a step in the right direction. If it helps bring people closer to God, we'd be willing to perch on the pipe organ or lash ourselves to the original stainless-steel cross that hangs above the altar.” His use of hyperbole and satire emphasize the outrageous luxury that David Sedaris longed for in his life. He is in the eye of the public, which adds to the celebrity life he dreams of. His attention to detail and exaggeration proves how invested he is in his imaginary world, this explains even more that Sedaris has insecurities in his real life. In