David Sedaris #1

english 1101

natalie beech

David Sedaris

#1

  I really enjoyed David Sedaris writing. It kept me very interested. I liked the way there was so much information on three different lives and how they all linked together at the end. The things that brought the whole story together were music and how the dad tried to influence his kids to love jazz. As a child his dad wasn’t allowed to listen to jazz in the house and forced into listening to Greek music. The dad decided to get each child an instrument and lessons even though they didn't want to. He was set in his ways and was trying to get his kids to become what he desired to be himself. Inspired from from his own misfortunes he provided the kids with opportunities he didn't have as a child due to growing up underprivileged with Greek immigrant parents. Having an ear for music he aspired and assumed that the boys would naturally inherit this skill. He forced them to enjoy jazz in hopes that it would grow on them and they would end up loving it. I found it ironic that the same thing he loathed about his parents as a child is exactly what he did to his own kids.  Now David’s dad is doing this to the kids only playing jazz music in the house. Its not a surprise to me that the kids were not interested in playing that kind of music. Even thogh jazz is the music the children would rather play than there friends music. Davids dad sounds really supportive. 

 When he got David a music teacher who was a midget named Mr. Mancini. He was a guy who was just like Davids dad Mister Mancini thought anyone could play the gaiter. I thought that Mr. Mancini made lots of sexual references during the lessons. It seemed to surprise david like he said it made him think of things that he didn't want to, like the sex of his gaiter. David seemed pretty innocent coming into the class. They kept having guiter lessons even though David didn't enjoy them they were just trying to please his dad. When David saw Mr. Mancini at the mall David related himself to Mister Mancini because he saw how much of a wee outsider and a miss fit Mister Mancici was. David says, “We were each a man trapped inside of a boys body. Each of us was talented in his own way. And the fact how they both hated 12 year old boys”.

 There are a few things in the story that led me to my assumption of David being homosexual. First was how he petitioned for a brand name vacuum cleaner, how he commented about the flute, how he named his guitar “Oliver”, a guys name not a girls, and how he admitted not noticing anyone’s breast lately. I think guys notice that stuff every day and especially when Mr. Mancini said ‘’I don't swing that way”.

 The story was fun and made me think of how different each individuals lives can be. Also it was interesting when David noticed how his personality made him the man he is today. I enjoyed how it all came together through music and instruments.