Memoir Example Response

I read “Let it Snow” by David Sedaris. I would say the theme of this memoir would be about the balance of having adequate alone time (in this case for the mother) and still being able to provide for her children in a safe manner. I feel like I have heard stories similar to this one where the children are plotting ways to get the attention of the parent, and I think it is a unique and refreshing perspective to write in. Some details that seem significantly successful were:

→ “On the fifth day of our vacation, my mother had a little breakdown. Our presence had disrupted the secret life she led while we were at school, and when she could no longer take it she threw us out. It wasn’t a gentle request but something closer to an eviction. “Get the hell out of my house,” she said.” I think this quote really stuck out to me because of the way they portrayed the mother. The idea that a parent having a “secret life” while the children are at school is such a common thing that children at that age think and the tone that the author used is something that really sparked my interest about this memoir in particular.

→ “Normally she waited until five o’clock to have a drink, but for the past few days, she’d been making an exception. Drinking didn’t count if you followed a glass of wine with a cup of coffee, and so she had a goblet and a mug positioned before her on the countertop.” Like with the first point, this excerpt also portrays the mother in the same light. It is almost like the author chose to make light and play down the situation, leaving the reader wondering if this was actually signs of neglect and alcoholism or if this situation was something supposed to be seen as comedic.

→ “Dusk approached, and as it grew colder it occurred to us that we could possibly die. It happened, surely. Selfish mothers wanted the house to themselves and their children were discovered years later, frozen like mastodons in blocks of ice.” I found this really interesting, just like with the last point, there’s the downplay of the actual situation where it could be that the mother is neglecting them, but it could also be seen as the children overreacting, at the moment it probably seemed like they were going to die. I think this parallel in perspective makes this memoir really interesting to read.