TOW #11: "Why Go Out?"

The book Sheila Heti uses in her speech to compare smoking and socialization.

http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/minisites/52books/fresh_starts/allen_carrs_easy_way_to_stop_smoking.html

Pajamas. Comfort. Relaxation. All of these things are associated with solitude, not socialization. In her brilliant speech to the audience of Trampoline Hall in New York in 2006, Sheila Heti addresses each audience member's introverted side. Can you actually "quit people" like you can quit smoking? Heti compares these two ideas while addressing the obvious topic of her speech: why go out? Heti is a Canadian writer and editor. At the University of Toronto, she studied art history and philosophy. She currently works for The Believer where she is Interviews Editor. With her audience established as introverts, or at the very least people with an introverted side to them, Heti aims to achieve two different purposes, one explicit, one implicit. She explicitly wants to give the reader an opportunity to ponder why we, namely the audience, do or do not seek out social interaction. Implicitly, Heti wants to make a statement about the human condition. She discusses the idea of how each individual fits into society. In her speech, besides how she actually presented the speech, Heti uses parallel structure, anecdotes, and analogies to share her message on social interaction. Her parallel structure is formed by her methodical approach to, for example, her answers to various self-imposed questions. The anecdote Heti describes is about a friend who advertises a social-skills class as a charades game night. Heti points out flaws and similarities between quitting smoking and quitting people through her recalling of a book she read about how to quit smoking. Of the devices Heti used, I believe she used the analogy most effectively. It struck me as humorous that Heti would compare avoiding social situations as "quitting people" as though people were destructive and addictive and necessary to your health. As Heti makes her claim, the reader realizes that people can be destructive (mean), that people can be addictive (loosing someone?), and that, maybe, people can be unnecessary.  

http://www.sheilaheti.net/whygoout2.html