Analysis Of Me Talk Pretty One Day By David Sedaris

Many people are affected by vices. Drugs, alcoholism, and gambling are the most common examples. For many, bad habits such as these are only morals at the end of stories told of bad life decisions. For others, vices are very real and impact every aspect of their lives. In the book, Me Talk Pretty One Day, the author David Sedaris compiles a collection of short essays about his experiences that discuss valuable life lessons. While Sedaris does not glorify drugs, he does describe some of the immediate benefits it offered him. More specifically, in one of his essays “Twelve Moments in the Life of the Artist”, David Sedaris describes the years when he used the drug Methamphetamine. He was at a time in his life where he did not feel like he was

They no longer feel the nuisance of doubt and insecurities. Per Sedaris, “speed enthusiasts know that everything they say or do is brilliant” (44). They feel that they are intellectually superior to other people. Their minds can enter a head space that is not troubled by self-doubt. Nothing holds them back from utilizing all the thoughts that enter their mind to create a masterpiece. They do not question their capabilities. Sedaris was used to being compared to his sister Gretchen, who had the natural ability to create beautiful works of art at a young age (39). With meth, he did not think about the comparisons people made between his sister and him. He was confident in his ability and talent. In the essay, Sedaris explains that he thought it was sad that his other friends were struggling to make art while he could with “the least bit of effort” (45). As stated by him, he was living art, from the balled-up socks to four toenail clippings (45). He began to convince himself that the art that his sister was praised for was not as impressive as his

In a study of a group of nine patients who use amphetamine, Hall et al. reported that the patients had increased motor behavior, paranoid ideation, paranoid delusions of influence, visual illusions in peripheral field, lability of mood, and increased sex drive. For many of the subjects, the drug made the line between fantasy and reality relatively blurry. The scientists also reported that at low doses, the patients experienced reduced appetite, increased alertness and energy, reduction of fatigue and drowsiness, general increase in psychomotor activity, and a general sense of well-being (Hall et al.). Decreased fatigue and appetite are displayed in Sedaris’s novel when he declares that meth eliminated these typically basic needs for survival (45). Instead of spending his time resting or eating, he could use the twenty-four hours in a day to use his newfound genius mind to influence the world with his art and creativity. Along with these benefits, some patients also experienced some side effects restlessness, dizziness, overstimulation, insomnia, mild confusion, and, in rare instances, panic or psychotic states (Hall et al.). These negatives were not enough to prevent users like Sedaris from using the drug. The feelings it provided people like him were worth