commentaire Funny Looking

« • The narrator explains that he feels in a total different way in the USA • He doesn’t have to watch behind him there is someone who is following him, he doesn’t fear the attack or theassault of anybody • The difference is so important that he explains the happiness he feels when the plane starts to go down towardsthe airport of New York “I am ecstatic, almost teary” (l18) • There is a strong opposition between the description of people in Europe who all seem to be some crazy andviolent people where Americans are describe as “beautiful young citizens” (l21) • As it is explained by the narrator, America and more precisely New York is a multicultural city, a very cosmopolitancity where everybody can live the way they want without being discriminated by others. • However he admits that things started to change after the attack on the world trade center.

People started to bemore suspicious about dark looking persons because of the trauma caused by the attack. • He recalls the question asked aloud by a man right after the attack, this person was wondering if Gary Shteyngartwas part of al-Quaida.

He also told him that he didn’t like him because he was funny looking, once more we realizethat the physical appearance is the reason of all the troubles encountered by the narrator • In spite of that the author still assures that he feels much better in New York than anywhere else in the world. III The aims of the author and the techniques used • The author clearly denounces racism and prejudices in the text and to do so he recalls his numerous experiences • Because he gives real examples, the situation seems a lot clearer to reader because it is sometimes difficult toimagine that such things can happen • He chooses on purpose countries from different continents to show that this problem is a worldwide one • The fact that the text is a first person narrative implies first that the author feels really concerned by theproblem; it shows a strong to get involved.

He thus takes the problem of racism as a very serious one • The author also clearly shows that the European capitals which could be considered as multicultural are actuallyoften the places where the events happen • However the narrator does not criticize openly the people of those cities and concentrate on peculiar events hewent through. • The way the events are recalled is quite humorous, the author is not trying to ask pity from anybody, on thecontrary he gives the facts, simply and clearly as if the events were not really important • Moreover the author addresses directly to the reader l36-37 “Don’t get me wrong” , the reader feels closer to thenarrator, it seems to be a conversation we are having with him • Because the subject is dealt with such an humour and so much detachment the reader tend to read the text moreeasily, the message of the author is perfectly transmitted thanks to this light tone he uses This text is very interesting since it denounces a problem which is well known racism and prejudices in nowadayssociety but it is made in an unusual way which makes it special.

It enables us to think about the matter with adifferent perspective.. »