Go Carolina

Sedaris describes how even as a child he had a sibilant lisp; when he pronounced an “s” sound, it came out as a “th” sound. The lisp symbolizes David’s difference from most of his classmates and the rest of society. He spoke differently; therefore, he was different. However, the lisp was an important part of his identity, and being forced to correct it felt like he was being forced to change who he was. Although the lisp could be seen as symbolic of a gay sexual orientation, it wasn’t that definitive. Although it had caused negative comments and remarks from his teachers, and even David knew he was different, the lisp was part of him, and he’d always communicated well and had been understood. The lisp being called out as a problem made him feel insecure because he was then forced to hide it, especially from Agent Samson during his speech therapy sessions. Therefore, he manipulated his vocabulary to avoid words that exposed the lisp and to avoid criticism from the speech therapist or society. However, in the end, the lisp remained, affirming that although he was different, that difference would one day provide a sense of individuality rather than “otherness.