Outside Reading: Reflective Essay 5

Holidays on Ice

David Sedaris

“Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol”

Pg. 93- pg. 99

3/21/11

In one of his eloquently written short comedic holiday tales, David Sedaris yet again serves the reader a cup of good cheer. He begins his story with the sentence, “The approach of Christmas signifies three things: bad movies, unforgivable television, and even worse theater” (93). For the remaining pages, Sedaris cites three examples of inexperienced thespians at local elementary and middle schools.

The witty details that Sedaris brings to the table add another level of intelligence to the already humorous story he unfolds. When discussing the Sacred Heart Elementary’s production of “The Story of the First Christmas,” he mentions that the “third-grade actors graced the stage with an enthusiasm most children reserve for a small-pox vaccination.” He later adds that in this production, “one particularly insufficient wise man proclaimed, ‘A child is bored.’ Yes, well, so was this adult.” While introducing “A Reindeer’s Gift” from Scottsfield Elementary, he goes on for a (lengthy) paragraph explaining in great detail the ‘dramatic’ plot developments that take place.

Continuing to spin his web of amusement, Sedaris uses vivid imagery to give the audience the chance to participate in such theatrical monstrosities. He mentions, while ending his bit about “A Reindeer’s Gift,” a student actor “Kevin ‘Tubby’ Matchwell, the eleven-year-old porker who tackled the role of Santa with a beguiling authenticity.” One can clearly see “Tubby” fulfilling his role when Sedaris writes, “The false beard tended to muffle his speech, but they could hear his chafing thighs all the way to the North Pole.

Sedaris’ overall sarcastic tone is the result of his precise diction: he makes sure to choose words that the audience will both understand and enjoy. Sedaris chooses such phrases and words as “eliciting screams of mercy,” “excommunicated,” and “zombies staggering back and forth” to bring forth feelings of amusement, slight annoyance, and most importantly, understanding for the situations he was put in. Such phrases and words as these create a certain mood that Sedaris continues with his literary tone throughout the piece. The audience catches on to this mood after only the first couple paragraphs and hangs on to it until the end of the story.

Although I would thoroughly enjoy reading and responding to any of Sedaris’ work on an AP Test, frankly, none of his acclaimed pieces would fulfill AP guidelines. His snarky tone amuses me to no end, but however much I may enjoy his work, I doubt that the AP readers would enjoy reading my almost-as-snarky essay analysis.