David Sedaris’s “Dentist Without Borders” is characteristic of
creative nonfiction because he is telling a true story, bases on all facts, but in a creative and
captivating way. He wrote about his visits
to different doctor’s offices in France, which for most, is not an interesting subject.
However, Sedaris style of writing and his voice throughout the essay is enticing. He does not boringly list the details of the
experiences, rather he writes in a style where the reader can connect to the
experience. He does not make up unrealistic
characters or facts that would make this story fiction writing. Instead he uses
dialogue, descriptive details, humor, and more to make the typically boring
experience fun to read and relate too (even if the reader has never visited a doctor's office in France!) In categorizing
this essay in a sub-genre of CNF I would place this essay under “Essay of Place.”
I chose this sub-genre because Sedaris’s essay definitely captures the settings
using strong sensory details, follows the story line using all factual
information and is entirely written from the writer’s point of view.
I agree it is an essay of place and yes his story was definitely a creative and fun one to read! I think he included the right amount of dialogue, details, and facts, to give a meaningful and interesting story.
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