David Sedaris’ short story “Jesus Shaves” is a humorous story with an important message. While it makes the subject seem light, the overall message shows how communication and cultural barriers can prevent us from growing together as a society. It also shows how we do not necessarily try to understand each others cultures and often give up in the process.
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2. Jesus Shaves
"HE NICE, THE JESUS. HE MAKE THE GOOD THINGS, AND ON THE EASTER WE BE SAD BECAUSE
SOMEBODY MAKES HIM DEAD TODAY."
"And what does one do on the fourteenth of July? Does one celebrate Bastille Day?"
It was my second month of French class, and the teacher was leading us in an exercise designed to promote the use of one, our latest personal pronoun.
"Might one sing on Bastille Day?" she asked. "Might one dance in the street? Somebody give me an answer." Printed in our textbooks was a list of major holidays alongside a scattered arrangement of photos depicting French people in the act of celebration. The object was to match the holiday with the corresponding picture. It was simple enough but seemed an exercise better suited to the use of the word they. I didn't know about the rest of the class, but when Bastille Day
eventually rolled around, I planned to stay home and clean my oven.
Normally, when working from the book, it was my habit to tune out my fellow students and scout ahead, concentrating on the question I'd calculated might fall to me, but this afternoon, we were veering from the usual format. Questions were answered on a volunteer basis, and I was able to sit back, confident that the same few students would do the talking. Today's discussion was dominated by an Italian nanny, two chatty Poles, and a pouty, plump Moroccan woman who had grown up speaking French and had enrolled in the class to improve her spelling. She'd covered these lessons back in the third grade and took every opportunity to demonstrate her superiority.
