Go Carolina by David Sedaris

David Sedaris writes in his short story, "Go Carolina" (2000) that the system of speech therapy (and therapy in general) in public schools is flawed. He does this through his account of his experience with a speech therapist who tried to get him to correctly pronounce the letter s. The author's purpose it to shed light on this issue in order to hopefully bring about a change in the system. Sedaris achieves this goal through the use of comedy and sarcasm, techniques his readers will likely connect to.


2. Sedaris is clearly using humor to describe personal issues that likely weren't all that funny at the time. For example, he talks a lot about the insecurities he felt because of how high pitched his voice was. He writes: "...my only option was to take a vow of silence and become a monk. My former classmates would call the abbey, wondering how I was doing, and the priest would answer the phone. 'You can't talk to him!' he'd say. 'Why, Brother David hasn't spoken to anyone in thirty-five years!'"
He was incredibly embarrassed of his voice, which in reality probably caused him a lot of anxiety. By using humor, he can openly and effectivelt talk about how his insecurity made him feel without it being too heavy.

3. There is an overwhelming tone of sarcasm and wit throughout the story, such as when he says, "I couldn't imagine anything worse that driving down to Florida to watch a football game, but I pretended to be impressed. 'Wow, that ought to be eventful.'"

Another great example: "Did they hope that by eliminating our lisp, they might set us on a different path, or were they trying to prepare us for future stage and choral careers?" The sarcasm and wit in the story makes it so much fun to read. For me, at least, it makes me instantly like the speaker.


4. "I couldn't imagine anything worse that driving down to Florida to watch a football game..." This sentence shows just how much Sedaris couldn't relate to his speech therapist. They really had nothing in common, and the woman never made any effort to connect with him. This is part of the reason why he disliked her so much.

"It was an answer I would regret for years to come."
He's exaggerating, obviously, but it is a reflection of just how much he hated these sessions. It's also a comedic technique. He is saying that it was as if, in that moment, by choosing the wrong sports team, he had sealed his fate.