The essay "Keeping Up" uses the modes of expression the most effectively. It uses almost, if not, all of them. To me, it is very clear where they are used.
The whole essay is a narrative really. Sedaris is describing he ways couples react to each other on vacation, most of the time specifically describing a certain couple he heard fighting. "When fighting on a vacation, there is nowhere to go except storming back to your hotel" (David Sedaris, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, page 13). That cut out is a narrative, as well as an expression because he is describing a past event, and also a dialogue.
But at the same time, the essay is also an internal monologue. Throughout the entire essay, Sedaris is speaking to the audience from what he is thinking in his mind. "I lie on my couch thinking, why don’t you just ask?" (David Sedaris, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, page 12).
Sedaris used examples of himself and Hugh, his husband on vacation too. There is lots of dialogue between them as well. He cannot stand how fast Hugh walks when in large crowds, and describes as he at the same time is using his internal monologue to narrate what happens in the situations.
“’There you are,’ I say. And when he asks where I have been, I answer honestly and tell him I was lost.” (David Sedaris, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, page 19) This phrase is an example of many things. It is narrating what is happening, there is dialogue, internal monologue is happening as Sedaris thinks, there is description, and the only thing left out is exposition. But there is plenty of that in other parts of the essay.
This essay uses every mode multiple times. I think it’s the best one that I read to represent the different types of modes we learned about.
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