The piece “Us and Them” by David Sedaris is an amusing and thought provoking work that focuses on David’s childhood reaction to a family that “does not believe in TV”. By describing his personal experience, the author makes the reader think about human interaction and how something as simple as television can demonstrate the difference between people who merely observe the life of others, and people who actually engage with their own life and make the best out of it.
Though the author does not explicitly state the intent of the essay, it is possible to catch it through his use of irony throughout the whole piece. For example, on multiple occasions, the author describes the Tomkeys’ lives as uninteresting and puny, when his family life revolves …show more content…
Her reason for “not getting too close to people” is that they would move again in a year. This would seem like a plausible reason to some, but the author goes on to say that their next house would be only a mile away. By adding this fact, the author is letting the readers know that “the move” is only an excuse for the family to continue being antisocial. The concept is further proven when the author writes, “Because they had no TV, the Tomkeys were forced to talk during dinner.” The word “forced” demonstrates that not only does the author’s family not enjoy socializing outside their family, but they do not even enjoy socializing with each …show more content…
Just like the author’s parents saying that they do not “believe in television” and than proceeding to watch the news and whatever came on after the news, some people have thoughts about this or that, but they never implement them into action. Other people, like the author, actually think that their lives are the standard of living. If a person does not do things the way he or she does it, they are odd and confusing. The author thought that the Tomkeys were ignorant and uninteresting because they did not own a TV, but in reality it was the other way around.
David Sedaris’s essay is a satirical peace that turns the readers’ attention towards the way we live our lives. He does so by utilizing irony as a way of comparing two families and their two very different ways of living. One family lives an interesting life, while the other watches strangers live their lives on
Though the author does not explicitly state the intent of the essay, it is possible to catch it through his use of irony throughout the whole piece. For example, on multiple occasions, the author describes the Tomkeys’ lives as uninteresting and puny, when his family life revolves …show more content…
Her reason for “not getting too close to people” is that they would move again in a year. This would seem like a plausible reason to some, but the author goes on to say that their next house would be only a mile away. By adding this fact, the author is letting the readers know that “the move” is only an excuse for the family to continue being antisocial. The concept is further proven when the author writes, “Because they had no TV, the Tomkeys were forced to talk during dinner.” The word “forced” demonstrates that not only does the author’s family not enjoy socializing outside their family, but they do not even enjoy socializing with each …show more content…
Just like the author’s parents saying that they do not “believe in television” and than proceeding to watch the news and whatever came on after the news, some people have thoughts about this or that, but they never implement them into action. Other people, like the author, actually think that their lives are the standard of living. If a person does not do things the way he or she does it, they are odd and confusing. The author thought that the Tomkeys were ignorant and uninteresting because they did not own a TV, but in reality it was the other way around.
David Sedaris’s essay is a satirical peace that turns the readers’ attention towards the way we live our lives. He does so by utilizing irony as a way of comparing two families and their two very different ways of living. One family lives an interesting life, while the other watches strangers live their lives on