David Sedaris effectively utilized many of the techniques suggested by The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing in his essay "Me Talk Pretty One Day." Sedaris used several of the methods including: using action-verbs to improve clarity, the use of parallelisms to make the piece more graceful, and using pronouns to make the writing flow
Harvey emphasizes using active verbs instead of linking verbs. He explains "things get ugly" when linking verbs are used to represent actions (Harvey 15). In "Me Talk Pretty One Day" almost all the action is described using action verbs which make the story much more clear. When describing what was happening during class, Sedaris used active verbs when he writes "The second Anna learned from the first and claimed to love sunshine and detest lies" (Sedaris 12). In addition to making his writing more clear, Sedaris also uses concepts from The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing to make his writing graceful.
Harvey suggests that using parallelisms helps improve your writing. Harvey describes the effects of this rhetorical device when he says, "Parallelism makes writing more comprehensible, graceful, and memorable" (Harvey 50). Parallelisms were used throughout Sedaris' essay. Sedaris uses a this rhetorical device when he writes about the teacher's actions, "She crouched low for her attack, placed her hands on the young woman’s desk, and leaned close" (Sedaris 12). By using the parallelism here, it not only helps the writing feel more graceful, it also helps the piece flow.
Harvey talks about how using little words like pronouns allow the writing to flow because the author doesn't have to keep on repeating the antecedent. After stating the name of the subject, the seamstress, Sedaris refers to the seamstress only as she and her for the rest of this passage, "The seamstress did not understand what was being said but knew that this was an occasion for shame. Her rabbity mouth huffed for breath, and she stared down at her lap as though the appropriate comeback were stitched somewhere alongside the zipper of her slacks" (Sederis 12). The use of she and her instead of the seamstress every time makes the paragraph much easier to read.
By using the principles in The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing, Sedaris creates a piece of writing that flows, is graceful, and is clear. These traits allow "Me Talk Pretty One Day" to be an effective piece of literature that tells a story and delivers its themes and purpose clearly.
Nathan, you did a great job of addressing this post. One thing I did notice was that you used Sedaris a lot. Maybe use pronouns or "the author" to refer back to the author and it will help make it easier to read. Also, try and start your paragraphs in a different way. All but your opening and closing paragraphs start with Harvey. So maybe say "In The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing" instead of saying Harvey every time. And one last thing, just make sure before you state an author by his/her last name, you need to use their whole name first. Overall though, this was a good post. Nice Job!
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