"Jesus Shaves"

In “partie deux” (part two) of Me Talk Pretty One Day, author David Sedaris demonstrates once again his skillful command of language and ability to make an audience laugh.  These two assets feature prominently in the story “Jesus Shaves.”  This story centers around one of Sedaris’ memorable French classes, in which he and his classmates learn about French holidays and then attempt to explain to a Moroccan student (with their limited French vocabulary) the basics of Easter.  The rhetorical devices used by Sedaris effectively enhance his delivery and influence the reader’s perception of different characters, making this story especially memorable.

The most prominent device Sedaris uses is his blurring of French and English by writing in English but using French syntax.  This technique, coupled with Sedaris’ creative phrasing (“It [Easter] is a party for the little boy of G-d who call his self Jesus…” [177]) brings Sedaris’ amateur French class to life for the reader.  This style is enhanced through Sedaris’ usage of simile to create humorous and lasting imagery.  For instance, in France there is no Easter bunny but instead an Easter bell, which for Sedaris is “…like saying that come Christmas, a magic dustpan flies in from the North Pole, led by eight flying cinder blocks,” (179).  In addition to inducing laughter, these comparisons play upon the reader’s cultural memory.  To an audience (particularly Americans who love to laugh but are mature enough to handle some explicit and racy language) that actually understands and has specific associations with Easter of bunnies and chocolate and with Christmas of Santa Claus delivering presents with his sleigh of reindeer, the holiday explanations presented by Sedaris and the members of his class seem especially out of place and thus funny.  By taking aspects of life familiar to his audience and twisting them into funny anecdotes, Sedaris’ words leave a lasting impression.

It is ironic that for someone with such a strong facility for the English language, Sedaris makes so many French “faux pas”.  These “mistakes”, however, lend originality and humor to Sedaris’ writing, allowing him to effectively complete his purpose of entertaining his audience with personal anecdotes.