Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Me Talk Pretty One Day, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity and Insecurity
Humor, Commentary, and Observation
Class and Belonging
Family, Love, and Support
Summary
Analysis
Whenever people visit Sedaris in Paris, he takes them to the movies. This is because going to the movies is one of the only things he does in Paris. Rather than wandering the streets or going to dinner parties, he sees American movies in their original English, noting the inaccuracies in the French subtitles. Because this is his main activity, he often wonders why he even took French classes, since he’s never used the phrases he learned, such as, “I heartily thank you for this succulent meal.” Instead, the phrase he uses most is, “One place, please,” which is what he says to the ushers at the cinemas he attends. He likes the movie theaters in France much more than those in America, hating that American cinemas sell large trays of food and that people talk so frequently during the film.
Living in Paris allows Sedaris to appreciate a different way of life. Ironically, though, he doesn’t do any of the things people would expect an American living in Paris to do, since he is apparently uninterested in taking advantage of the many tourist attractions in the city. This aligns with his overall disdain for tourist activities, as chronicled in “City of Angels.” However, he actually does take advantage of living in a foreign country, relishing the fact that Parisian movie theaters are more enjoyable than American theaters. In this way, he appreciates French culture in his own way.
Themes
In Parisian movie theaters, Sedaris can sit back and watch a film in silence. Because most of the movies he sees are American, he often sees the cities he used to live in, including New York and Chicago. From a distance, he can appreciate the cities without having to put up with the things that annoy him about his home country. Sometimes, though, he sits down in his seat and starts to think about all of the things he could be doing in France, knowing that the beauty of Paris is sparkling outside the dark walls of the cinema. As soon as the lights go down and the movie starts, though, these concerns drift away, and Sedaris’s only remaining thought is that he loves Paris.
Once again, Sedaris reveals his self-awareness only to disregard it in favor of doing what he wants. In this case, he recognizes that he isn’t taking full advantage of the fact that he lives in one of the greatest and most interesting cities in the world, but then he doubles down on his decision to spend the majority of his time watching American movies instead of exploring Paris. Simply put, he is unapologetically himself, even if he’s capable of recognizing the flaws or quirks in his own thinking.
Themes
