I believe that the context in which Sedaris wrote "Standing By" was shortly after the Presidential Election of 2008 for which Barack Obama had been elected. This was especially a bit controversial in the sense that it would and had changed many aspects throughout society drastically. One of many changes that has had a negative impact in job losses was the closing of a successful car manufacturer G.M. Throughout the time for which Obama has been and will continue his presidency, he has committed and passed many questionable ideas into law which has contributed to a very confused and careless society. Before Obama, America was once a flourishing society with a successful economy in which people of every social class benefited in some way whether it was attaining a job and being able to work and provide food or shelter for a family or being able to have government assistance to help get by with the bare essentials. These aspects for which many people depend on have changed dramatically making it harder for people who are homeless, unemployed, or have a job and live in fear that it may be taken away at any point in time. With this idea in mind, I thought of the quote "History repeats itself." by Karl Marx. This quote is especially true once we begin to look back and dissect the major historical events especially events which have hurt and placed historical trauma amongst many different cultural groups such as African Americans, Native Americans, and even Jews. In Sedaris case, his mind begins to wander once he makes his way to his flight (276). It is only normal that going through a day full of unexpected surprises, one's mind does begin to shut down and become selective in such a way that one will become unconscious of the ideas and generalizations being made upon others.After conversing with Mr. Mustache, a fellow air traveler, he partially hears only what his mind is allowing him to. "Hello, this is Adolf Hitler." (Sedaris 277). Keeping in mind Adolf Hitler had essentially destroyed a country along with many Jews with the impression of one day developing a pure Aryan Society. Hitler had done so by having strict control in every aspect of his plan as one would in a dictatorship. In saying so, the ways in which we act or conduct ourselves is almost a mirror image of how the events and people whom we are surrounded by shape our perceptions and opinions of others.
Sedaris perception on how he sees the world is based almost as if it were a dictatorship in which one's goal s to have complete and total control over a certain group with the goal of attaining absolute dominance. In doing so, one will do so by by what ever means necessary whether it is by murder, torturing, or by placing fear amongst those seen fit to be inferior or below those of superior power. Sedaris definitely references the communist period for which Adolf Hitler was around and compares it to today's current presidency in which Barack Obama was elected to be the Presidency. Essentially, the US economy was successful and flourishing and just by the power of President's words a once prosperous car manufacturer, G.M., was forced to close down which meant the loss of jobs and also the fear of possibly losing the jobs being held now. This fear of possibly losing the only source or lifeline to get by each day definitely puts a strain on the group as a whole. This will eventually cause tension amongst our group and sometimes even bad feelings or disrespect that may not be entirely intentionally done. The way in which Sedaris perceives the world is that our perception of how we look at other people and places is essentially based on outward influences.
The way in which Sedaris imagines his readers in today's world are viewed as judgemental, critical, and sometimes even stereotyping. This occurs without even noticing that one may be even doing so and and acknowledging that one is fault may be difficult for some to admit. There may also be instances where one finds themselves engaged in a conversation with people surrounding them and all of a sudden has something in common to talk about. This can be either positive or negative. The point that Sedaris is trying to make to his readers is that each one of us solely base our opinions and how we see other people, places, and different cultures based on what has been told to us or what is being heard whether it is from the media, other people, or the sources themselves. Sometimes people may decide to use that as a base for what we see and form our opinions of others without knowing them. The goal that Sedaris wants his readers to take away from "Standing By" is that we all are very critical and judgemental human beings that are easily influenced and persuaded by the opinions to other and are quick to pass judgement on people that we do not know.
Sedaris' wants his readers to see that they are judgemental and analytical which may be happening as a result of fear and anxiousness that what has gotten them by each day can one day be taken away just by the words of the leader of our country. With this in mind, people are becoming more frantic and start to develop some sort of hostility towards people unintentionally because of the changes occurring in our world causing many to live with fear in the back of their minds. It is a scary idea to think about but knowing that problems as such are developing and there is nothing we can do about it we essentially have to be prepared for what may be to come. Sedaris' idea to compose his text in a magazine article rather than some other form of media was consciously done with the idea in mind that people generally read magazines to hear the latest gossip on celebrities. By writing the text in a magazine article, Sedaris is criticizing not only other people but himself as well with the idea that he wants his readers to see that how one conducts there opinions and judgements on others is a direct affect on the events occurring around them and how it is affecting the way that they carry and present themselves to others.
Sedaris, David. "Standing By."
First Year Composition Reader. Boston: Pearsin, 2011. 275-277. Print
You say, “Sedaris perception on how he sees the world is based almost as if it were a dictatorship in which one's goal s to have complete and total control over a certain group with the goal of attaining absolute dominance.” I’m not sure I see that. I think he connects the two for a reason, but not anything that drastic or politically motivated. Perhaps it’d be better to look at his overall purpose of the piece and then see how the auto bailout/Hilter comments come into play.
ReplyDeleteHmm, your last two paragraphs are interesting. You say, “The way in which Sedaris imagines his readers in today's world are viewed as judgemental, critical, and sometimes even stereotyping.” What did he say specifically that made you think that? Does he place himself in the same category as his readers?
Just remember: ground your ideas, assumptions, and analysis in the text. It will help you avoid trying to make such grand connections and force you to closely read what Sedaris wrote.