Prior to entering college, I had never been exposed to Sedaris’ works. I enjoyed being assigned this story to read because it was relatable to my life. His story Let it Snow is effective in portraying the life endured as a child. His tone is almost melancholy over the life he was forced to live because of his parents. Through his dialog, he describes the life that he and many children have. His works could almost pass as analogies. Addiction is a harsh reality in many families that need brought to the surface and acknowledged.
In his work, he points out that his mother like many people has an addiction. “Our presence had disrupted the secret life she led while we were at school. . .”(Sedaris 89). Sedaris’ mother had gone days without alcohol
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Sedaris states that “Dusk approached, and as it grew colder it occurred to us that we could possible die” (Sedaris 89). Their mother may have treated them poorly due to her addiction but the children still felt sympathetic towards her. In his work he states that it was hard to stay mad at his mother even though she had forced them outdoors into the cold and snow.
The use of this particular memory as a child could almost be used as an analogy for the storm in which his life seemed. The winds and snow could represent the disaster of a life his parents have provided for the children. The cold weather could represent how cold-hearted his mother was towards them when she did not have the ability to drink. Many people think of a snow day as being happy and filled with laughter. However, for these children the snow had only brought them pain and suffering both physically and mentally.
Even though he had the “it is what is” attitude towards his life it was the life that he knew. It was the life his parents had given them. There was nothing they could do as children to change anything. They still loved and accepted their parents and all their