PR Paper for Neat People vs Sloppy People - Personal Statement Example

and Number Response Paper#___ Neat People vs Sloppy People and Preconceptions Recently, I read the essay en d “Neat People vs Sloppy People” by Suzanne Britt. I found this essay to be incredibly interesting because it can really be read in two different and distinct ways. Essentially, the essay describes the overall personality traits and character of people who are sloppy versus those who are neat. The first time that I read the piece, I came away from the essay with the certainty that Britt was being serious in her avid dislike for neat people; however, once I took a closer look at the tone of the piece, I came to see it in a different light.

I think that this essay is a great example of how the mindset of an audience can impact how they view an essay, a poem, a novel, or any other piece of literature. In reading this essay the first time, my own preconceptions really got in the way. I would consider myself to be a fairly neat person, so I found myself taking offense to some of what Suzanne Britt was saying about neat people. From the very beginning, I felt like Britt was unfairly attacking neat people. For example, in the third sentence of the essay, Britt states “Neat people are lazier and meaner than other people”(Britt, 225).

Just reading this sentence, my entire view of the essay was colored as I struggled to overcome my feeling offended by what she was saying. I was taking her words to heart and comparing my own personality to the one that she attributes to neat people. One particular example was when Britt states “Neat people are bums and clods at heart. They have cavalier attitudes towards possessions…Neat people will toy with the idea of throwing the children out of the house just to cut down on clutter”(Britt, 226).

I couldn’t help but wonder what Britt’s point was in this essay. She praises sloppy people and bashes neat people. Perhaps she knew someone in her life who wronged her at some point and was a “neat” person. I felt that this might be a potential reason as to why she was so vitriolic against neat people. A few days later, I reread the essay; however, and really took in the comments that the editor or author of the book had made about the essay. “Mingling humor with seriousness…Britt uses comparison mainly to entertain by showing us aspects of ourselves, awful or not”(Kennedy, Kennedy, and Aaron, 225).

This description was helpful in that I was able to drop my preconceptions and read it in a new way. I was able to view the sarcasm and humor within the piece. I realized that the extreme descriptions of the neat people and sloppy people’s personality was where Britt was exhibiting this hyperbole. She was doing this in order to get her point across. This time, after reading it, I was able to draw new meaning from it. Instead of viewing the piece as a diatribe against neat people, I found myself understanding that Britt was simply taking two personality traits—neat and sloppy—and taking a closer examination of it.

Normally, people consider sloppiness a negative trait and neatness to be a positive trait. By delving deeper into these traits, Britt exposes the fact that this kind of thinking is not completely accurate or fair. She turns the neat and sloppy traits on their head and shows the audience that there are actually positive and negative aspects within each. By reading it a second time, I was able to see Britt’s point of view and was able to recognize her extreme description and words as sarcastic and honest instead of just mean-spirited as I did the first time.

I think, overall, my experience with this essay illustrated to me the idea that a person’s own hangups and preconceptions can really impact how they view a piece of literature. I have come to see the value in putting the effort into rereading a piece because it is that second time which might illuminate something that you weren’t able to see before. Additionally, taking that time in between readings can aid a person in dropping their preconceptions or perhaps, first impressions, about a piece.

Works CitedBritt, Suzanne. "Neat People vs. Sloppy People.” The Brief Bedford Reader. Ed. X.J. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron. 11th ed. Boston : Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 225-227. Print.Kennedy, X. J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron. "Comparison and Contrast: Neat People vs. Sloppy People." The Brief Bedford Reader. 11th ed. Boston : Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 225-227. Print..