Live Responsibly; Shop Drunk
Among Alcohol’s several uses, making the act of shopping smoother and more enjoyable is not one of them. However in this article “Live Responsibly; Shop Drunk, the author Brett Martin proves that alcohol does just that. In this refreshingly humorous piece Martin utilizes language, detail, and diction to carry the message that the ever so difficult task of shopping is better done with a buzz.
The first point the author makes is just how impossible shopping
can be with the use of imagery and diction. Brett Martin illustrates his
anxiety toward the task by using vivid imagery. Shopping causes him to have “sweaty palms,[a]
pounding heart, general despair followed by either a hasty, bad decision, or a
rip-cord-pulling abandonment of mission.” This makes it clear that Martin cannot successfully shop because
the process brings up deep insecurities, causing him to second guess himself
and therefore not feel confident or competent enough to purchase something
decent or anything at all. He strengthens this point with the use of diction.
With words such as “porkpies” and “pandoras” both of which hats that only the truly
stylish and competent shoppers would know the names of reinforce the idea that
Martin is an outsider who desperately wants to be included but is afraid that
he won’t really fit in. Because of course to truly fit in one must know the
right thing to wear, which requires a confident decision something Martin
cannot do while shopping.
The author’s other point is that the
only way to effectively shop is to do so after a couple of drinks, though one
shouldn’t be drunk. Martin achieves this point through the use of language and
details. Martin seriously introduces us to the idea through juxtaposition:
shopping is the problem and drinking provides a cure to the symptoms that is
causes. He continues to expose us to this solution through detail. The decision
to add the fact that his most prized possession was purchased after a couple of
drinks helps prove that alcohol just might be the answer. In addition the end
result of him purchasing a straw fedora is the result of one Bloody Mary making
his point that a buzzed shopper is a productive one.
In conclusion Brett Martin carries out
this purely comedic piece through the intelligent use of literary techniques
such as language, detail, imagery, and diction. He impressively proves his
point that his best shopping is done while drunk and suggests that men who face
the same hardships follow suit, after clothes are returnable.
*Please don't try this at home :)
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