TOW #24: I'm A Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson (IRB)

Reading Goal: Try to identify new rhetorical devices (different from last time) that Bryson uses.

Writing Goal: Try to incorporate my voice into my writing.

     Throughout I'm A Stranger Here Myself, Bill Bryson has continually been effectively entertaining while actually being informative about the differences between American and British life. However, in the second half of the book, Bryson has been back in America for about two years now, and his articles are less about the differences between the two countries and more about annoying and frustrating acts of his life. Of course, Bryson is still striving to be entertaining, and he continues to achieve that through his use of parody and hyperbole.

     In the chapter entitled "Your New Computer," Bryson addresses the hassle of setting up a new computer. However, instead of simply stating his annoyance (which would be rather boring and seem far too much like he was just complaining), Bryson writes the chapter as a parody of a computer set-up manual. One section reads: "Unpack the box and examine its contents. (Warning: Do not open box if contents are missing or faulty, as this will invalidate your warranty. Return all missing contents in their original packaging [...] and a replacement will be sent within twelve working months.)" (227). Through this statement (part of the "Getting Ready" section of his "computer manual"), Bryson parodies a step that one would normally read in a computer manual. Through this, he highlights how ridiculous and frustrating warranties can be – yet he does so in a funny way. By parodying a computer manual, Bryson achieves his purpose of entertaining his audience.

     To make his parody effective, Bryson often utilizes hyperbole. He exaggerates elements of computer manuals, especially the steps that involve installing software and plugging in cords, to show the unnecessary complexity of the process. He writes, "Also included with your PC is a bonus pack of preinstalled software – Lawn Mowing Planner, Mr. Arty-Farty, Blank Screen Saver, and Antarctica Route Finder" (226). While everyone reading certainly knows that the average computer doesn't instruct users how to embark upon an Antarctic adventure, the audience can certainly tell from the ridiculous programs that Bryson describes that computers often come with unneeded and annoying programs that just waste space. And above all else, when exaggerated, Bryson's complaints (for, ultimately, that's what his articles are) are certainly funny.

     The second half of Bryson's I'm A Stranger Here Myself focuses more on entertaining the audience rather than doing both that and comparing America and English. To do so, Bryson often uses parody and hyperbole. Because of his effective use of these rhetorical devices, every chapter in I'm A Stranger Here Myself is highly humorous and a joy to read.

Complicated Computers:
Computers today are (in my opinion) wonderfully easy to set up, though Bryson's parody suggests that in his day, computers were far more complicated and resulted in all sorts of disorder, as shown in the picture above.

(Source: http://www.tuug.utu.fi/~jaakko/kuvat/huonesuuri.jpg)