Tone and style

Part of your essay should focus on David Sedaris’s tone and style of writing in his text "Obama!!!". Apart from the analytical elements related to the style of writing that we have already mentioned (argumentation, rhetorical devices, and forms of appeal), we also encourage you to look at the language the author uses to understand his tone and style of writing.

Tone

When it comes to the author’s tone, the use of humor, irony, and sarcasm suggest that David Sedaris’s essay is characterized by a critical and sarcastic tone.

Anecdotes suggest the author’s tone is occasionally relaxed. He is also able to convey self-deprecation in a humorous way: “It might have felt different were I a Bush supporter, but as it was, the president brought my neighbors and me together. It was like the Small World pavilion at Disneyland, everyone on the same page.” (ll. 71-76)

Subtle or direct ironies help the author establish a critical tone when it comes to the French’s prejudices about Americans or the other way around. Furthermore, his critical tone also surfaces when he focuses on the differences and similarities between the two nations. While the French (and other Europeans) believe the Americans are racists, they dismiss ...