Summary Of Me Talk Pretty One Day Sedaris

Me Talk Pretty One Day, written by David Sedaris is the witty and sardonic tale of his own experience studying French at Alliance Francaise School in Paris. In this story, he detailed the events that took place during a time in his life when he struggled to overcome a host of challenges. In order to fulfill his dream, he had to endure; navigating an unfamiliar environment at his new school and in a new country. Meanwhile, he battled many insecurities that affected his confidence and the overall experience. David Sedaris’ claim that perseverance is paramount in order to achieve a goal is evident because he managed to learn a new language as an adult in his early forties, while he lived abroad in a foreign country and lacked the support of

At the age of forty one, he was well past prime school age and while the language barrier was a common thread to all new students, Mr. Sedaris felt like an outcast; unable to relate because he was so much older. A poignant insight to the many doubts and insecurities he had was when he stated "At my age, a reasonable person should have completed his sentence in the prison of the nervous and the insecure--isn't that the great promise of adulthood?" (Sedaris, 1999, para. 3). The reference to Mr. Sedaris' personal feelings of being "nervous" and "insecure" on his first day of class is a very discouraging frame of mind. This makes this section of the text highly relatable. Starting a new school for anyone, at any age, can be nerve-wracking. However, David Sedaris takes this concept to a heightened level with the comparison of these feelings to a “prison”. This is a very dramatic description of his mental state and one that effectively communicates these feelings went well beyond the normal nerves associated with the first day at a new place. The notion existed in his mind that if an individual is older, they would be more likely to be immune to such worries. This must have been a

As he was in France, and unable to adequately communicate with those around him, he had to confront his fears outside of his new school as well. The following line from the story encapsulates just how inhospitable he felt the environment around him was in a sarcastic way, "I was safe in any kind of a store, as, at least in my neighborhood, one can stand beside the cash register for hours on end without being asked something so trivial as, "May I help you?" or "How would you like to pay for that?"(Sedaris, 1999, para. 12). Undoubtedly, it is not acceptable to be ignored for hours simply because you cannot fluently speak the language or that you are obviously not a “local”. Nor would this behavior make an individual feel welcome in a new place, enabling them to fully assimilate. This is a telling example of a strength of character that one must possess in order to stay the course. While, temporarily, it may seem comforting to blend into the background, it would not be sustainable, long term. In this case, it would be more beneficial to seize the opportunity to practice the language in the "real world". Mr. Sedaris illustrated that approaching these scenarios with a sense of humor, can help lessen the severity of an uncomfortable situation or unfamiliar environment. If one chooses to relocate to a new place in order to learn something new, one must accept that things will be different. Moreover, as the author