Behind the Mockery

I started reading Naked by David Sedaris and was soon trapped by the amusing satire. The memoir is composed of autobiographical essays without a unifying theme but definitely all tied together by Sedaris' dark humor. The first couple of chapters related to his early childhood. He wrote about his arrogance and presumed superiority and about his random ticks, both worthless are experiences but good examples to analyze everyday life. I might be just guessing based on the first few pages, but the essays seem to be satirical and entertaining ways for the reader to reflect and for Sedaris to explain how he is. The first chapter, just a few pages long, especially made me laugh as the author analyzes a child's selfish perspective into the adult world, and the stupidity that many of the never get rid of. Referring to his mom and her constant pregnancy, Sedaris writes, "Rather than improve her social standing, she chose to spit out children, each one filthier than the last" (pg. 6). As he ridicules his growing family and their lack of a private jet, Sedaris mocks human behavior, mostly his own. On the next chapter, "A Plague of Tics," he mocks how the world responded to what was just OK for him. Worried that he licked every object, touched everything with his nose and enjoyed making high-pitched squeaks, his mom and teachers met in efforts to end his tics but rather drank all night to the point of inviting each other to vacations. 

More than just funny and amusing, satire is a way to analyze human nonsense. As I kept reading the book, I did laugh about his Greek grandmother's tendencies and the usual clash she had with her daughter-in-law, but there's more to it. Based on the first impressions I got from the memoir,  I think Sedaris, like many do through satire, will be mocking human behavior, the way our society works and many personal things to criticize and observe them.