"Insert Flap 'A' and Throw Away" Précis

Ian Dunne
Mr. Ehret
AP English Language
April 16, 2008

“Insert Flad ‘A’ and Throw Away” Analysis
by S. J. Perelman (p. 186 – 189)

The author sets the scene for the reader and describes the situation/conflict. When doing this, he adds humorous aspects and writes with witty satire. With great detail, he describes a ridiculous project of a moth net that he was trying to assemble to no avail, though. After a lengthy description of that project, he says that it was superseded by a newer one which he had to complete on Christmas morning. He details how and why he doesn't want to complete the task, but commences because of his children's whining. He writes about how easy the project will be, but as he writes, he realizes how much harder it is becoming. The author mentions that the project itself is causing the problems, such as when the box separates itself after he has already affixed the folds together. He attempts to teach his children how to read such easy directions and how to assemble something from a diagram. Instead, he ends up becoming more and more frustrated, and eventually becomes so frustrated that he cuts himself with a nice on accident. In all the mayhem, he suddenly blacks out, and wakes up to find his wife speaking to a doctor about how many pills he should take a day.

Vocabulary
Dolorous – feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress
Trice – in a moment; very quickly

Tone
Satirical, Humorous

Rhetorical Terms

Hyperbole – “…the subject is placed in a sharply sloping attic heated to 340º F” (p. 186)

Personification – “…the soft, ghostly chuckling of the moths” (p. 186)

Humor – “…I was spread-eagled on my bed, indulging in my favorite of mouth-breathing” (p. 187)

Personification – “The moment I made one set fast and tackled another, tab and slot would part company, thumbing their noses at me” (p. 187)

Allusion – “…my consort, a tall, regal creature indistinguishable from Cornelia, the Mother of the Gracchi” (p. 187)