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David Sedaris 21 Down Analysis

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Author David Sedaris, writes “21 Down”, a short essay about The New York Times crossword puzzles and the role it plays in his life as well as the lives of others. Sedaris describes in detail the bitter truth about the search for recognition, getting older, and the fear of loneliness that comes with it. Sedaris uses contradictory tone against himself between his need for superiority and self criticism which exposes his personal struggles with his identity. He also appeals to the pathos of the audience by using self-deprecating comments throughout his essay to emphasize his feelings of self doubt and insecurity that the reader can easily relate too. Lastly he uses his renowned tone of sarcasm and humor to bring to light serious topics that aren't commonly talked about while promoting a lighthearted way to deal with your issues. Sedaris starts by posing himself as an intellectual who looks down upon those who are only“limited to doing puzzles in People magazine” (Sedaris 201) and criticizes his former boyfriend saying “it’s simply unfair for …show more content…

He shows this when he manages to complete his first Monday puzzle and his sarcastic imagined response from a stranger ,“You mean to say you’re only forty years old and you completed this puzzle all by yourself? Why, that’s practically unheard-of!” (Sedaris 203). Sedaris uses this made up scenario to bring out his underlining battle with not knowing who he is and the self loath he deals with leaving readers with no choice but to laugh at Sedaris’s experiences and thoughts. The audience gets a better look at what Sedaris is thinking of and how his personal conflicts affect him. Although he deals with constant self criticism he is about to talk about it in a sarcastic and funny manner causing the reader to laugh at their own insecurities rather than hate and stress about

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Irony is often used by Sedaris to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. “Though we were forbidden to speak anything, but French, the teacher would occasionally use us to practice any of her five fluent languages” (Sedaris 171). Hyperbole is another literary device used in the book, Sedaris uses hyperbole is an intentional

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Sedaris felt that if others knew what was going on with a person as strange as him, than others would learn that it is ok to do their own weird tics. It is also important to note that when “A Plague of Tics” took place he was in grade school and then later college. This would imply for this essay that he was writing towards people in a similar context. This essay would relate most to all the problems in the world going on with bullying. It isn’t a surprise that someone such as Sedaris got frowned upon by others for not conforming quite like the

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From the beginning, he guides the protagonist through a midlife crisis that is almost sure to go wrong. He is a wealthy man, lost in a suspicious part of town in an expensive car. This has trouble written all over it. People in these areas are desperate for money, and robbing a rich man in his Mercedes-Benz would be a more than possible event that could ensue. Most fatal of all however, and most ironic of all, is that “[he is so] intent upon the future that…

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After recalling a broken childhood, Sedaris looks back and realizes that there were many things he did not understand as a child. The treatment and attitude of his mother have helped Sedaris to understand that some things are just too complicated, and that the solution to those issues is not a single step. Being able to realize this helped to justify his mother’s attitude towards him and his siblings, confirming that a family is still a family despite the challenges along the way. In order to connect and understand the people around us, a person must first look past the appearance of someone and dig deeper, as there is more to a person than just what they choose to

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The irony is where Sedaris writes on his bag, “My candy. Keep out. ”His unwilling to share with people who are willing to share with everyone else is where the irony come into play. He even started eating the candy, even though it makes him sick. It is portrayed that Sedaris is somewhat biased and unwelcoming to people who are different from him.

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