Irony of parenting
In the essay titled "You Can't Kill the Rooster," Sedaris introduces his younger brother, Paul, who apparently used to swear a lot when he was younger. Sedaris reflects on how his parent's changed their attitude as they had more kids; despite the fact they were stricter with Sedaris, they were much less strict with his younger brother Paul after having had more children.
Irony of presumptions
In one passage, Sedaris believes that he is in trouble when the teacher calls him out of class. He begins panicking about the possible "crimes" he might have committed, reflecting on recent actions. However, it turns out that Sedaris was not actually in trouble and he didn't need to panic.
Paris
Sedaris recounts how he travelled to Paris and tried to learn French while he was there. Despite this, he admits that he mostly stayed in and watched American movies, rather than immersing himself in the culture as he had planned.
