Buddy Ebsen

Carolina Tylawsky
Reading Assignment #2
Yost
9/2/13

Buddy Ebsen by Hilton Als from The Believer

Summary: A story of self discovery which is credited for the first three pages to "the queers". Stating that "It was the queers who made me" at the beginning of each paragraph and then describing life events that helped Als realize who he is. Who took him to Paris and Los Angeles and shared a bed with him. Who helped him surpass the stereotypes and prejudgements that lay before him in the setting of the 70s and 80s. Who helped him feel less alone and understood what it was like to be different from everyone else. See that is okay and that it does not matter what others say or think of you as long as you have a strong sense of self. He contributes all this to "the queers" up until the very last page where he says "Its my queerness that made me". 

Credibility: An African American born 1960, writer and theater critic for The New Yorker Magazine, former writer for The Village Voice and Vibe magazine. 

Context: The essay is broken into long paragraphs that all begin with "Its the queers who made me" followed by small occurrences in Als' life that led to a deeper understanding of who he is as a person.

Purpose: To inform the reader of who Hilton Als is as a person. His life experiences and relationships and how vital it is to find yourself. The importance of self identification and what you let define yourself.

Audience: Outcasts, people outside of the social norms or simply those who wondered what it was like to be black or gay during a less tolerant time period.

Rhetorical Devices: The most important rhetorical device used in this story pertaining to Als' self discovery is epiphany. While out dancing with his sister and homosexual friends a friend asks him what he is thinking about and he replies "I'm just remembering why I'm gay". Following this section he reviews all the opinions and prejudices set before him others wanted and expected him to become. Then comes his section where he begins "Its my queerness that made me" where he defines himself.

Opinion: The style and rhetorical devices used most definitely accomplish Als' purpose of the importance of self identity. By formatting the essay in a style that reads almost like a poem it keeps the reader interested. Not to mention the subtle little events and descriptions of things he says made him that eventually lead to his ultimate self discovery and identification.

Hilton Als Courtesy of http://community.blogs.wesleyan.edu/files/2010/01/HiltonAls.jpg