Beard and Sedaris brilliantly create short stories that read like a collection, each essay developing in depth, providing a broader narrative of the writer's life than a single essay can provide. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In his collection of memoir essays, he uses metaphor to compare and contrast, effectively allowing the reader to ascertain his truths as he writes them. Beard's imaginings of another universe are obviously imaginings; they do not reflect the reality of life on those planets but, through detailed analogy, how she sees herself at that moment. To avoid sentimentality, Beard goes to a different realm, into space. She not only observes the stars in the desert, and is truly enclosed under the “terrible arch of the sky”, but also relates to the vast solitude of such a large expanse. This all happens moments after she takes Eric's hand. He doesn't ground her and she doesn't necessarily find comfort in his presence. Rather, it is down here, where “there is only the terrible arch of the sky, the waning moon and nothing else.” Heaven is uncomfortable with the unpredictability, which Beard uses to establish a sense of helplessness. This step, in itself, is complex and connective. His writing holds a beautiful sadness. Poetic and absurd at the same time, it makes sense in her mind and she remains true to herself throughout the piece. Sedaris, in his essay, Remembering My Childhood on the African Continent, sets out to tell us a story that actually belonged to his friend. However, in telling this story, he provides a comparison to his childhood. His rather subtle comparison between the two childhood events shows the almost comical and stark contrasts in the experiences. Sedaris doesn't mock Hugh, rather he gives the facts, as if he were telling a story from his childhood. It doesn't go out of its way to make a statement about Hugh or the environment he was surrounded by in Ethiopia. In this way, the story remains faithful to its original narrator. While shocking to anyone unaccustomed to coming across dead men hanging from telephone poles, the narrative continues as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. However, when this story is told in the future, it will not be the question of the dead man that will be noticed, but the fact that Hugh had been to see the movie about the talking car. Sedaris rather cleverly avoids the dramatic trap that the story might allow and instead lets the story speak for itself. In his writings, Sedaris avoids self-centeredness and instead shares a true story that gives the reader an adventure through the experiences of others. Sedaris illuminates the meaning through his interpretation of the story. He makes comparisons to events that can be better understood due to their unique contrasts, yet the title of the essay is Remembering My Childhood on the African Continent, in which he claims the experience as his own. Please note: This is just an example Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Both Beard and Sedaris rely on comparing and contrasting raw materials; this, done correctly, allows the reader to see a deeper side of the meaning. While Sedaris relies on a real analogy to compare his childhood to, Beard steps out of this world, though no less effective. By going beyond the raw material, both authors therefore manage to avoid egocentric narratives.