Sedaris wanted to learn French in Paris as he had taken classes in New York and Normandy. In Paris, his teacher was harsh towards all of the students, treating them as though they were incompetent. She would degrade the students individually throughout the class by challenging their knowledge of the French language. As Sedaris was enduring the harsh reality of learning French in Paris, he learned that he had to work hard and suffer through the verbal abuse his teacher handed out each day. Finally, one day he realized he was able to understand what people were saying. Although he couldn't speak fluent French he felt joy in the ability to
