Elements of Craft - "Dialog"

             In the passage from the book "Me Talk Pretty One Day," written by David Sedaris there are many examples of dialog that show how the characters interact and their different personalities. The dialog in this story is unique because most of it is in French. Most of the conversations between certain characters take place in a French teaching classroom which is actually in the country of France. Because of the fact the story takes place in France, it is implied that most of the dialog is in French even though in the story it is written in English.

            The main base of dialog in the story comes from the French teacher. As the story plays out she becomes more and more cruel and unruly to her students. On the first day of class her first words to her students were “If you have not meimslsxp or lgpdmurct by this time, then you should not be in this room. Has everyone apzkiubjxow? Everyone? Good, we shall begin.” As the the first day continues she shows her odd teaching style of downgrading her students. “Oh, really,” the teacher said. “How very interesting. I thought that everyone loved the mosquito, but here, in front of all the world, you claim to detest him. How is it that we’ve been blessed with someone as unique and original as you? Tell us, please.” It was these types of sarcastic and crude comments throughout the rest of the text that proved to the reader that this French teacher had a purpose in being mean to her students. Some of her dialog is just so degrading that it could count as harassment.

            There are also many examples of dialog from the author that allow readers to get a feel of the experience he is going through. When asked to present something he liked and disliked in French he replied he detested blood sausage, intestinal tates, and brain pudding. He listed his love for IBM typewriters, the French word for bruise, and his electric floor waxer.  Such an odd assortment of items leads the reader to guess he is not very fluent at all in French. Of course the teacher came back with an insult referring to the word for typewriter is feminine. As days go by the students are completely downgraded by the teacher. The author’s dialog is even limited by the teacher. For example he is scared to say anything French in public or even answer the phone. The only social dialog he had was conversing in fear with his fellow classmates. “Sometimes me cry alone at night.” Clearly the teacher had ruined everybody’s social life.

            When she says to the author, “Every day spent with you is like having a cesarean section,” he realizes that he understands everything she is saying. It turned out that the teacher’s repetition of cruel and degrading dialog she spoke to her students allowed the author to understand the French language.