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

capable of very much. The drugs boosted his confidence and made him believe he was virtuous at some tasks. Crystal meth is a good tool for individuals to use to enhance their creativity, because it allows them to be free of inhibitions.
Methamphetamines increases an individual’s confidence and ability to solve problems.

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

“art”.
Crystal meth also gives individuals a higher level of motivation to accomplish their goals. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, methamphetamines increase the amount of neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. This increases motivation, pleasure, and motor function. Users are more likely to complete tasks and with more precision. The motivation, accompanied with the confidence that they will not fail, causes people to feel elated when they must do something they otherwise would not be comfortable with. Sedaris’s false confidence aided him in completing pieces of “art” that he submitted to museums (47). He became a part of a community of drug users, whose opinion of good art deterred from the norm more, as their dose of drugs increased.
Many studies have been completed on the effects of methamphetamines.

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

more.
Although methamphetamine may have negative consequences associated with it, in small doses it can benefit the user. Sedaris could increase his confidence and happiness by taking this drug. It gave him the ability to be creative without thinking about being compared to his naturally artistic sister. He eliminated his insecurities and motivated him to do something with his life. He submitted art to museums and put on plays. He completed activities that he may not have otherwise. It allowed him to have experiences he would have missed out on. Independence from inhibitions, provides individuals with a sense of freedom that can only be positive on the individual’s life.