Blog Assignment #4 Response to Turbulence

David Sedaris immediately has a way of grabbing one's attention by using subtle humor found in every day occurrences.  The story immediately starts off with a riot as the narrator is found in an awkward predicament during a flight as he accidentally spits out his cough drop onto the lap of a sleeping passenger beside him.  Things go from bad to worse as he invites the reader into the thoughts of an observant passenger who starts to connect the dots of the supporting characters surrounding him and how quickly circumstance can create conflict between two passengers who are stuck seated next to each other.

 The narrator remains the quirky and creative guy while Becky, the woman next to him, goes from being a wholesome middle aged woman into an entitled brat once she doesn't get her way.  Despite clearly standing out as the antagonist, Sedaris keeps the story light with exchanges such as, “Listen", she said, “I’m not asking you to switch because it’s a bad seat. I’m asking you to switch because we’re married.” She pointed to her wedding ring, and when I leaned in closer to get a better look at it she drew back her hand, saying, “Oh, never mind. Just forget it.”  I couldn't help but smile throughout the entire story as he managed to create a scenario where the reader cannot help but continue to read until the conclusion of the flight.

Sedaris did an excellent job of putting the reader in the narrator's eccentric mind as it wandered from avoiding the bulkhead to declining the flight attendant's offer for a drink because he thought appearing low maintenance would make her like him more.  Sedaris has shown a knack for being able to poke fun at himself while perfectly blending a mixture of dialogue and introspection.

Usually writers try to stay on course but Sedaris manages to captivate while drifting away from the plot. Towards the end of the story, Sedaris transitions from sharp humor into a moral dilemma, "But what if I was wrong? I pictured her in a dimly lit room, trembling before a portfolio of glowing X-rays. 'I give you two weeks at the most,' the doctor says."  The transition is smooth rather than dramatic and came while the antagonist was in deep sleep.  Sedaris' guilt leads him to think about his own relationship and how the two handled disputes.  It was a nice touch, which allows the reader to learn that much more about the main character in the end as opposed to the beginning of the story.