Analysis Of David Sedaris Us And Them

In David Sedaris’ Us and Them, a story that revolves around the life of the narrator who is critically observant of their neighbors, the Tomkeys family. The narrator's family is one that lives independent from one another and society due to impromptu moving. Self sufficiency and learned reclusion are unspoken rules of the household which Sedaris elucidates in the first passage on 849, “I adopted my mother’s attitude, as it allowed me to pretend that not making friends was a conscious choice.” [1] The narrator, instead of forming intimate relations to people utilizes their energy to examine from a distance as calculating as a scientist attending to lab rats with scrutinizing intent. Deriving the most amusement from being vigilant of the Tomkey family,

a family of people that don’t own a television which causes them to avidly interact with each other and strengthen their familial bonds.

Having close connections is a foreign concept to the narrator whom only experiences affection packaged in disassociated sentiment which normalizes a critical attitude of others causes misery instead of healthy self reflection.
In my opinion, the story is a sublime example how if people simply live life without questioning the motive of themselves and others we doom ourselves to lives devoid of happiness. Sedaris, through the usage of the narrator asks us all to reflect where in our lives we are being hypocritical to others when we should instead be turning inwards to find the true source of our conflict. In an excerpt on page 855,“The only alternative was to do as my mother had instructed and take a look at myself. This was an old trick, designed to turn one’s hatred inward,” [2] Sedaris illustrates how thoroughly the narrator has lost touch with reality, ignorance fueled enrapturement on par with god complex amounts of ego to avoid the real source of distress, the self. The

narrator instead of following the choosing instead to exert this energy to the easiest target, the Tomkeys. I believe some who read the story it is of great concern to decide whether to sympathize with either the narrator or the Tomkey family when the decision is simple; both parties deserve understanding because humans are always fluctuating between these two perceptions either within or by others. The narrator due to being conditioned to isolate never thought intruding on the Tomkey family’s private lives was unusual since loneliness and personal rejection were too strong to bare decides to project it outwards. The Tomkey family because of how unassuming they are throughout the text, albeit the belated trick or treating is strange, “asking for candy on November first was called begging, and it made people uncomfortable,” [3] which I attribute with their general naivety of modern social etiquette. Overall, I appreciate the message of not being so overly judgmental of others in this piece and how simplistic the author, Sedaris exhibits it proving how easy it is to miss the importance of this societal pitfall.