Language use in “Jesus Shaves.”
Introduction
The narrative “Jesus Shaves” was a conversation that took place during a discussion in a French class. The learners were discussing different holidays when a teacher questions them about the events that take place during Easter.
Thesis Statement. Although “Jesus Shaves” is a class discussion, Sedaris uses religious, colloquial, humorous, and brief language to communicate the core message to the intended audience.
Body
- Religious language
- Religious Festivity – Sedaris presents a class discussion where French learners discuss holidays.
- The teachers questions about the Easter holiday, which appears unfamiliar to the learners.
- Religious language sets the focus on the class debate.
- Colloquial language
- Sedaris uses everyday language in the discussion. Some of the words used include “oh, shit” (Sedaris 1).
- Colloquial language makes a literary work to be of particular interest (Chirico 22).
- Slang language targets the younger generations (Djenar 238)
- Humor
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- “Jesus Shaves” has a humorous ending (Sedaris 3).
- Humor reveals a state of evolution of human intelligence (Garrett 2)
- The choice of words influences shows humor in a text (Sujono 193)
- Brevity
- Brief language is suitable for a conversation (McKnight par. 2).
- Brief language promotes clarity of information (McKnight par. 3).
- Brief language allows the author’s arguments to make sense to the intended audience (McKnight par. 3).
Annotated Bibliography
Chirico, Miriam. “Performed Authenticity: Narrating the Self in the Comic Monologues of David Sedaris, John Leguizamo, and Spalding Gray.” Studies in American Humor, vol. 2, no. 1, 2016, p. 22, 10.5325/studamerhumor.2.1.0022. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020.
The article examines the authenticity of a staged performance. The authors focus on comic monologues that involve an absurdity. The findings reveal that performers convey the authenticity of their work through juggling multiple selves during a scene of the act. Including autobiographical premises and the creation of the impression that a true self may emerge from the action helps to improve the authenticity of the work that uses jargon. In this case, the article examines the credibility of the monologues by David Sedaris. Despite the presence of humor and colloquial language, Sedaris’ work shows a high level of authenticity.
This article is suitable for analyzing the role of language in work “Jesus Shaves” by David Sedaris. The use of colloquial language makes the work of particular interest. In this case, an individual needs to understand the core objective of the slang language in enhancing the intended meaning.
Djenar, Dwi. “On the Development of a Colloquial Writing Style: Examining the Language of Indonesian Teen Literature.” Bijdragen Tot de Taal, Landen Volkenkunde, vol. 158, no. 4, 2008, pp. 238–268, www.jstor.org/stable/27867989.
The article examines the use of colloquial language in literature. In the twenty-first century, most writers tend to use slang language as they target youthful readership. The new genre is typical in factious works and serves to attract a large number of readers. Besides, the technique meets the needs of a growing niche of readers. The authors of the article focus on the use of idiomatic language in Indonesian literature and its successes.
Although the article does not examine Sedaris’ work, it is suitable for the current study as it reveals the significance of using informal language in literary works. The information presented in the article will help to understand why Sedaris used slang language in work “Jesus Shaves.”
Garrett, Ernest. “How Humor Works: Introduction – The ‘Holy Grail’ Humor Theory in One Page.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014, 10.2139/ssrn.2481881. Accessed 17 Nov. 2019.
The article examines the role of using humor in literature. Most literary works create a sense of hilarity. Authors make a specific selection of the language used in their works to entertain the audience. In this article, Ernest uses the status loss theory of humor to evaluate the purpose of attractive words in literature. One of the primary goals of fun is to reveal the evolution of the human character. In particular, Earnest confirms that the presence of funny language in a literature work shows the development of humans’ intelligence. The use of theories in evaluating the purpose of humor makes the article suitable for educational use.
Although the article does not evaluate “Jesus Shaves,” it is suitable for the current analysis since it expounds on the use of humor in literary works. Since Sedaris uses humor in his work, this article will help to support the main argument. In this case, the findings will help to expound on the role of amusing language in “Jesus Shaves.”
McKnight, Steven C. “The Importance of Brevity.” The Odyssey Online, The Odyssey Online, 2016, www.theodysseyonline.com/the-importance-of-brevity.
The article examines the use of brevity in literary works. Writers use few words to deliver their message to the audience. The method remains suitable in cases of a conversation. The author maintains that brevity is useful to ensure that a specific work makes sense to the audience. In some instances, inexperienced authors use wordy phrases to express weak point to readers. The practice can make a text appear vague and less effective in achieving the primary purpose. The use of unclear language discourages a reader from evaluating a piece of literature.
Although this article does not relate to Sedaris’ work directly, it is suitable for evaluating the use of brevity in “Jesus Shaves.” McKnight makes a credible argument for clear and concise language in literature. Such details will be useful in determining the intended purpose by Sedaris in using brief words writing conversations in his work.
Sedaris, David. Jesus Shaves. 1933.
“Jesus Shaves” was a conversation that took place during a discussion in a French class. The learners were discussing different holidays when a teacher questions them about the events that take place during Easter. One Moroccan student expresses her sincere concerns that she has never heard of the Christian celebrations. The remaining part of the narrative reveals the unfortunate attempt by the learners to describe the Easter holiday. Most learners use broken French to describe the religious festive.
The narrative “Jesus Shaves” is the work under investigation. For this analysis, the works serve as the primary document. The fact that the narration occurs in the first person and examines diverse views on shared religious traditions in a classroom setting makes it suitable for investigation.
Sujono, Sujono. “Dissecting Humor on David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty One Day by Applying General Theory of Verbal Humor.” Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Educational Management and Administration (CoEMA 2017), 2017, 10.2991/coema-17.2017.34. Accessed 11 Feb. 2020.
The article examines the extensive use of humor in a literary work. The author focuses on evaluating the knowledge of fun and its structure in a narrative text. The choice of words in literature determines whether the target readers perceive work as funny. In this case, it is essential to evaluate the sense of appeal that results from the effective use of language in a text.
The article is suitable for evaluating the purpose of language in entertaining the audience in “Jesus Shaves” because it contains a critical evaluation of Sedaris’ works. The primary evidence used by the Sujono will be suitable for evaluating Sedaris’s success in entertaining the target audience.