In the section I selected from ‘Us and Them,’ the author, David Sedaris, uses a plethora of literary devices to comedically depict a mundane conversation and a boy’s mother’s reaction to it. The conversation depicted in the passage, and its following few lines, are perfect representations of the flow of feelings produced by uncomfortable conversation. Throughout the passage, the author makes consistent use of hyperbolic statements for comedic effect, both overtly and covertly.
The first, and perhaps less comedic example of hyperbole is in the very first line, with “out in the hallway I could hear my mother straining for something to talk about. ” By saying this the narrator is implying that his mother’s strain to converse is so immense that he can feel it from his room, as he can’t literally hear strain. Furthermore, this line sets up the tone of the conversation: mundane and boring, the type that would typically be avoided at all costs. The second, more comedic line, is: “That sounds marvelous. While this line is not overtly hyperbolic, in context the use of “marvelous” seems to be disingenuous. Writing “marvelous,” instead of something like “that’s nice” implies that she feels contrary to what she said about the boat. The last, most hyperbolic, line is “Yes, I am talking about boat trailers, but also I am dying. ” This statement humorously describes how the mother feels about the conversation, stating that she is in such agony about it that she feels like she’s slowly losing her life.
The author uses hyperbole in this situation to draw a comedic connection between the mundanity of boat trailers and losing one’s life, implying that a boring, inane conversation is the equivalent to slowly perishing. A more common device used by the author to impart comedic effect are his specific word choices. Some of the implication of words used, or not used, can be very subtle; for example: “‘A boat! ” She said. ” In this, the author seems to make a point of saying “she said” rather than “she exclaimed,” implying that the mother is saying things just to be polite, instead of out of genuine curiosity.
Sometimes the author uses a group of words to imply a certain meaning, for example with “Oh, a trailer. ” With these three words the author manages to encapsulate the essence of a conversation that neither party wants to be involved in. By repeating what the man just said, the narrator’s mother simply talks without having anything to say. Finally, at times the author employs use of full sentences, ripe with specific words to advance his comedic agenda.
The best example of this is, “Right, but is it wooden, or you know… I guess what I’m asking is what style trailer do you have? The word choices in this sentence support the greater message of awkward conversation the author is intending to impart. The question “is it wooden, or you know… ” seems to imply that the asker herself doesn’t know, and is simply stalling until either the words come to her or someone puts the conversation out of its misery. The mother asks “what style trailer do you have? “, a question without any real bearing, implying that she knows nothing about trailers, and is just trying to get the conversation over with. The perspective of the narrator also plays a large part in the comedic effect of this passage.
Both his young age and his relationship with his mother allow for aunique view on his mother’s conversation. The first sentence that hints at the narrator’s perspective is “Out in the hallway I could hear my mother straining for something to talk about. ” From this line, we can see that the narrator’s relationship with his mother is familiar enough that he knows when she doesn’t know what to say. In a similar vein, “Behind my mother’s words were two messages” implies that the narrator is very familiar with the hidden meanings behind his mother’s words.
These two lines both show that the narrator very well understands his mother’s codes, comedically implying that he learned this from past instances where he didn’t quite pick up on them. The most telling of the lines is “you will never again experience freedom, happiness, or the possibility of my warm embrace. ” Through this we can see how the narrator ranks his values. He places things like freedom, a concept people have fought wars for, and happiness, something some people search their whole lives for, alongside a hug from his mother.
This juxtaposition of values humorously and accurately depicts how many young kids perceive the world. Even the general flow of the conversation expresses the comedic intent of the author. At the start of the conversation, lasting from lines two to three, the narrator’s mother seems to at least attempt to put on a face of good will, saying, for example, “A boat! ” … “That sounds marvelous. ” for example. However, in lines four to five, this pseudo enthusiasm is immediately quashed by Mr. Tomkey, who very plainly corrects her, droning out “Actually, we have a trailer”… So what we do is back it into the lake. ” The result of this check to her counterfeit enthusiasm is shown in the mother’s immediate reply of “Oh, a trailer. ” in line six. This limited reply, along with the following remark of “What kind is it? ” marks the shift in the conversation from one where the mother holds a semi-believable facade of knowledge on the subject, to one where the lack of familiarity with the subject matter is painfully obvious to all in attendance.
The final line of “Right, but is it wooden, or you know… I guess what I’m asking is what style trailer do you have? following Mr. Tomkey’s input that the trailer was in fact a boat trailer, is humorously as flat and uninteresting as possible, each word reflecting the absolute disinterest the narrator’s mother has in this subject. The author uses this spiral from a believably fake to almost passive aggressively uninterested to comedically set up the apex line: “Yes, I am talking about boat trailers, but also I am dying. ” The abilities of the author to play on everyday aspects of our life, like awkward conversations, to draw out a feeling of relatability with the reader show his comedic talent.
He uses hyperbole to stretch the sentiments of both conversing parties during the conversation. At the same time, the author exaggerates in coming up with a conversation that unrealistically fits all of the key parts of a bad encounter, creating a situation that is bound to strike a chord with nearly anyone. The words selected look as awkwardly placed as many of the words selected during the wind-down of an encounter; in doing this, the author reflects the feelings of saying words you don’t know or care much about in his writing, and provides another key point of relatability.
The skewed perspective of a child also provides a commonality to relate to. By showing the narrator’s perspective and what he holds dear, the author fleshes out a trait that many readers of his story could perhaps relate to. Similarly, the flow of the story might give also evoke a sense of deja vu. The pattern of a winding down conversation is one that a great many could relate to, and through this the author gives yet another feeling of similarity. Within the work as a whole, the passage I selected works as a lynch-pin of sorts, binding the narrative together.
The story up until my passage was focused on the mystical Tomkeys, with plenty of room dedicated to the narrator speculating on their lives. Aside from a few lines prior to it, my selected passage is the first real interaction with the Tomkey family, providing insight into what they’re like. Thematically, my selected passage functions as the climax of the story, the break in the speculative build-up. Despite this, the build-up of the family is intended to not be worth the return, with the family being a slightly blander than average middle-class family.
Following the climax, the mother finally seizes the candy, fed up with the wait, and perhaps her company as well. Comedically, the passage also serves as the boring bridge of the story, covering the gap between two sections of the narrator being a selfish kid with his candy, and bringing a different flavor of humor into the story. My passage is the part of the story that holds the whole thing together, keeping the humor fresh, while moving the story along.
