A Comparison of the Essays ‘What’s Your Name Girl’ by Maya Angelou and ‘Me Talk Pretty One Day’ by David Sedaris
1. Introduction
In this essay, I will be comparing and contrasting the essays ‘What’s your name girl’ by Maya Angelou and ‘Me talk pretty one day’ by David Sedaris. I will be considering the style of writing in each essay and how this is used to explore the theme of racism, as well as the importance of language.
Both essays are written in first person point of view, however they differ in terms of style. Angelou’s essay is more serious in tone, while Sedaris’s essay is more humorous. The use of description is important in both essays, but for different reasons. In Angelou’s essay, description is used to paint a picture of the scene and create empathy in the reader. In Sedaris’s essay, description is used for comedic effect and to highlight the absurdity of the situations he finds himself in.
The theme of racism is explored in both essays, but from different perspectives. In Angelou’s essay, she describes her experiences as a black girl growing up in the south during the time of segregation and discrimination. Sedaris’s essay is about his experiences as a white man living in France and struggling to learn the language. Although both essays deal with racism, they have different messages about it. Angelou’s essay is about overcoming racism through strength and determination, while Sedaris’s essay is about the ridiculousness of racism and how it can be overcome through humour.
Language is also an important theme in both essays. In Angelou’s essay, she describes how her white employer would mispronounce her name and how this made her feel like she was not a person. Sedaris’s essay is about his struggles to learn French and how this led to him feeling like an outsider in his own country. Both essays show how language can be used to exclude people and make them feel like they do not belong.
2. Comparison of style
2.1 Use of description
Both Angelou and Sedaris use description in their essays, but for different reasons. In ‘What’s your name girl’, Angelou uses description to paint a picture of the scene and create empathy in the reader. For example, she describes how her white employer would mispronounce her name: “She called me Mary instead of my given name, Marguerite […] each time she spoke my name it was like a slap”. This shows how her employer saw her as a child and not as a person with her own identity. By describing this scene, Angelou allows the reader to understand how she felt and creates empathy for her character.
Sedaris also uses description in his essay, but for comedic effect. For example, he describes his French teacher: “Monsieur Paul was an ex-convict with a face like a testicle…I remember thinking that if Monsieur Paul had been black or Asian or even just ugly, he never would have been hired”. The absurd image that Sedaris creates makes the situation funny and highlights the ridiculousness of his situation. He also usesdescription to create suspense, such as when he describes his encounter with a group of skinheads: “[they] had shaved heads and wore bomber jackets with swastikas on the back. I wanted to ask them for directions but was afraid they might kill me”. This creates a sense of suspense and tension in the reader, making them want to find out what happens next.
2. 2 Use of humour
Angelou’s essay is serious in tone, while Sedaris’s essay is more humorous. Angelou uses humour in her essay, but only sparingly and usually to highlight a point. For example, she describes how her white employer would ask her to do things that were clearly below her intelligence: “[She] asked me to count the number of jelly beans in a big glass jar”. This shows how her employer saw her as a child and not as a person with her own identity. By using humour, Angelou allows the reader to see the ridiculousness of the situation and creates empathy for her character.
Sedaris’s essay is full of humour, which is used to highlight the absurdity of the situations he finds himself in. For example, he describes his encounter with a group of skinheads: “I wanted to ask them for directions but was afraid they might kill me”. The absurd image that Sedaris creates makes the situation funny and highlights the ridiculousness of his situation. He also uses humour to create suspense, such as when he describes his encounter with a group of skinheads: “[they] had shaved heads and wore bomber jackets with swastikas on the back. I wanted to ask them for directions but was afraid they might kill me”. This creates a sense of suspense and tension in the reader, making them want to find out what happens next.
2. 3 Use of language
Angelou and Sedaris both use language in their essays, but for different reasons. In Angelou’s essay, she describes how her white employer would mispronounce her name and how this made her feel like she was not a person. She says: “She called me Mary instead of my given name, Marguerite […] each time she spoke my name it was like a slap”. This shows how her employer saw her as a child and not as a person with her own identity. By describing this scene, Angelou allows the reader to understand how she felt and creates empathy for her character.
Sedaris’s essay is about his struggles to learn French and how this led to him feeling like an outsider in his own country. He says: “I remember thinking that if Monsieur Paul had been black or Asian or even just ugly, he never would have been hired”. The absurd image that Sedaris creates makes the situation funny and highlights the ridiculousness of his situation. He also uses language to create suspense, such as when he describes his encounter with a group of skinheads: “[they] had shaved heads and wore bomber jackets with swastikas on the back. I wanted to ask them for directions but was afraid they might kill me”. This creates a sense of suspense and tension in the reader, making them want to find out what happens next.
3. Comparison of topic
3.1 Racism
The theme of racism is explored in both essays, but from different perspectives. In Angelou’s essay, she describes her experiences as a black girl growing up in the south during the time of segregation and discrimination. She describes how her white employer would mispronounce her name and how this made her feel like she was not a person. By describing this scene, Angelou allows the reader to understand how she felt and creates empathy for her character.
Sedaris’s essay is about his experiences as a white man living in France and struggling to learn the language. He describes how his French teacher would make fun of him and how this led to him feeling like an outsider in his own country. The absurd image that Sedaris creates makes the situation funny and highlights the ridiculousness of his situation. Although both essays deal with racism, they have different messages about it. Angelou’s essay is about overcoming racism through strength and determination, while Sedaris’s essay is about the ridiculousness of racism and how it can be overcome through humour.
3. 2 Language
Language is also an important theme in both essays. In Angelou’s essay, she describes how her white employer would mispronounce her name and how this made her feel like she was not a person. She says: “She called me Mary instead of my given name, Marguerite […] each time she spoke my name it was like a slap”. This shows how her employer saw her as a child and not as a person with her own identity. By describing this scene, Angelou allows the reader to understand how she felt and creates empathy for her character.
Sedaris’s essay is about his struggles to learn French and how this led to him feeling like an outsider in his own country. He says: “I remember thinking that if Monsieur Paul had been black or Asian or even just ugly, he never would have been hired”. The absurd image that Sedaris creates makes the situation funny and highlights the ridiculousness of his situation. He also uses language to create suspense, such as when he describes his encounter with a group of skinheads: “[they] had shaved heads and wore bomber jackets with swastikas on the back. I wanted to ask them for directions but was afraid they might kill me”. This creates a sense of suspense and tension in the reader, making them want to find out what happens next.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, both essays are written in first person point of view, however they differ in terms of style. Angelou’s essay is more serious in tone, while Sedaris’s essay is more humorous. The use of description is important in both essays, but for different reasons. In Angelou’s essay, description is used to paint a picture of the scene and create empathy in the reader. In Sedaris’s essay, description is used for comedic effect and to highlight the absurdity of the situations he finds himself in.
The theme of racism is explored in both essays, but from different perspectives. In Angelou’s essay, she describes her experiences as a black girl growing up in the south during the time of segregation and discrimination. Sedaris’s essay is about his experiences as a white man living in France and struggling to learn the language. Although both essays deal with racism, they have different messages about it. Angelou’s essay is about overcoming racism through strength and determination, while Sed