Topic > Review: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris is a collection of autobiographical essays describing the difficulties that occur within the American families as a young man recounts his childhood and youth as he becomes part of the LGBTQ community and struggles to gain acceptance from his family. This young adult read is told through the narration of the author, David Sedaris, now an established author with NPR interviews. The collection follows his eccentric family as he recalls the childhood memories that shaped him. Sedaris' collection of essays is told through his adult point of view which allows him to reflect and understand several occasions when the way his parents treated him and his siblings was quite harsh. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First mentioned in the essay “Us and Them,” it is clear that Sedaris adores his mother, Sharon. However, she is regularly unpleasant towards her own children and in her essay "Let it Snow", Sedaris tells of a time when Sharon ordered him and his brothers to get out "of her house" and to stay out in the weather freezing. After relentlessly trying to get back inside, Sedaris remembers looking through the window and seeing his "mother in the kitchen, watching television" and drinking a glass of wine. This is a scene he and his brothers often observed. Sedaris' example of child abandonment may connect with some readers who may be going through the same or similar struggles. At a young age, Sedaris was well aware of his homosexual identity which he hid from his parents until late in life. In the essay "Full House", Sedaris' father, Lou, encourages him to attend an all-boys sleepover in hopes of the boys turning him into a normal boy with little knowledge of Sedaris' budding homosexuality. Later in their relationship, Lou realizes that David was actually gay and has trouble understanding it. He proceeds to kick David out of the house after he shows his lack of support and acceptance towards Sedaris' sexual identity. This experience contributes to Sedaris' struggle with self-confidence. This mirrors many real-life stories that have been portrayed in the news and on social media, relating to young people in the LGBTQ community or anyone struggling with their sexual identity, who may not have the support of their families. During Sedaris' adult life, in his essay “The Chicken in the Henhouse,” Sedaris recalls the time when he heard prejudicial attitudes towards homosexuals in the media. One speaker made a bold statement stating that “these homosexuals cannot reproduce, and so they go into schools and try to recruit our young people.” This comment was nothing Sedaris hadn't heard before, but of course he was still slightly offended by the statement. Not only is the LGBTQ community classified only into lesbian and gay, but people have also created a stereotype for the portrayal of lesbians and gays. Similar to race or religion, these stereotypical portrayals vilify marginalized and misunderstood groups. Recently the American media has become more understanding and has shown how the LGBTQ community helps our society move away from the negative stigma that initially surrounded it. Celebrity host of the popular talk show “The Ellen Show,” Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997 and has been a loved one ever since. Not only is he charismatic and open about his relationship with his wife, but he is,.