Style Analysis

Cassidy Carter 3/19/13 Engl 1302- Prof. Evans Style Analysis Firoozeh Dumas analyze, The F-Word, addresses the very relatable splutter every person with an ethnic name faces in the American culture. Her prime example being herself, Dumas wryly and realistically depicts the trauma a person endures from constantly having to educate people about your name. She also habituates the name calling of her siblings to provide a comparison of the names meaning in Persian versus their American mispronunciations. Dumas seamless use of analogies, give-and-take choice and quotations assists in her goal of making the reader understand and sympathize with her frustration.The analogy used passim The F-Word that assists Dumas with explaining how peoples refusal to say her name correctly, involves, interestingly enough, spices. Paralleling different linguistic sounds with uncommon spices, Dums jokingly suggests that common sounds like cinnamon and sumac. Dumas later returns to her analogy toward the end of her piece while referencing a particularly annoying p arent at her childrens school who refers to Dumas as F-Word, the title of the piece non-coincidentally.This parent eventually is transferred to another school where Dumas hopes she might befool to arouse some room in her spice cabinet. This analogy connects and ends the story while making it Gilbertian to the reader and to a greater extent relatable. Dumas word choice also relates to adding humor to the piece as she dissects the names of her family and how they are abused in American culture. Her explanations of how Farbod became Farthead amongst his peers as well as how Farshid became the abhorrent Fartshit, not only exposes the bonkers cruelty of children.Such instances also express a humorous exasperation with her American peers who refused to even try to tell their names. Further in the essay, Dumas regales the reader with a tale of an unfortunate encounter with a hematology technician that she has an assign ment with. Having been called Froozy, Frizzy, Fiorucci and Froozy and just plain Uhhhh.. I am highly accommodating. I did not however respond to Fritzy because on that point is not in my name. This bit of humor at her own expense makes the piece all the more personable and relatable.Dumas use of quotations as she sarcastically impersonates her offenders also adds humor to her essay. Her references to what she believes are her offenders excuses for mispronouncing her name were particularly humorous as they effectively allow the user to understand her point of view. My name, Firoozeh, chosen by my mother, means aquamarine in Persian. In America, it means Unpronounceable or Im Not Going to address to You Because I Cannot Possible Learn Your Name and I Just Dont Want to take over to Ask You Again and Again Because Youll Think Im Dumb of You Might Get knock over or Something. Dumas word choice in choosing to explain the Persian meaning of her name aids in her use of quotations bec ause by giving the correct meaning of the name she further ridicules the people who refuse to use her correct name. The F-Word is a witty essay that makes relatable the struggle of having an ethnic name in this land of Joes and Marys. The essay should allow the reader an opportunity to focus on their own name faux pas and hopefully make a change in their behavior in the future when dealing with people with names that gather up a little more spice in their linguistic spice cabinet.