Chapter 15: 2016 – A Year of Political Upheaval and Personal Discoveries

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The year begins with a trip to Tokyo, where Sedaris and his companions stumble upon a salon called “the Joker of Hair” and a restaurant offering fried chicken knees. In Melbourne he tours with an old friend, Pat, whose father went to prison, and meets Laurie, who is on a hundred‑day shopping fast. Back in London he hears about a hidden planet behind the sun and an album titled Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle.

Spring arrives with visits to his father in North Carolina. Conversations turn to Donald Trump, Fox News, and the meaning of courage. A walk with his sister Amy turns into a comical misidentification of a fawn as a panther. He observes how much easier it is for young gay couples to be affectionate in public.

Summer brings the Orlando shooting. Sedaris criticizes the ease of buying automatic weapons and the double standard that allows one “lone crazy person” to restrict liquids on planes but not assault rifles. He listens to anti‑gay sermons and wonders if he misses being hated. The Brexit vote passes; he mourns the drop in the pound and the rise of “identity” politics.

Autumn is dominated by the U.S. election. He presses a reluctant driver to vote for Hillary Clinton. Trump’s victory leaves him in shock. He blames non‑voters and the Electoral College. At home in England he feeds a wild fox he names Carol, and he and Hugh attend a piano recital where Hugh’s vulnerability shatters his perfectionism. The year ends with a dental appointment in Paris where his periodontist rages at the election outcome.

Key Events

January 3, Tokyo: Sedaris passes a salon called the Joker of Hair and a restaurant offering fried chicken knees.
January 23, Melbourne: Pat shows him her childhood campground; her father went to prison. Laurie explains her hundred‑day shopping fast.
March 9, London: A friend believes in a secret planet behind the sun; Sedaris discovers the Kolbrin text reference to Nibiru.
May 21–22, Emerald Isle: Family visits; Sedaris’s father praises Trump as a “businessman with courage.” A nighttime walk with Amy yields a misidentified “panther” that turns out to be a fawn.
June 12–16, Rackham: The Orlando nightclub shooting. Sedaris notes the NRA’s familiar argument and contrasts it with other security‑themed restrictions. He hears two anti‑gay sermons and says, “There’s no outside anymore.”
June 24, London: England votes to leave the EU. The pound drops to 1.35 against the dollar.
July 12, Rackham: Australian friends Pat and Mark visit; they discuss the term “old boiler” and the practice of pulling a girl’s teeth to save her future husband money.
August 8–14, Emerald Isle: Sedaris names the pink house “Come Shell or High Water”; his father criticises an overweight woman at a funeral and worries about ISIS targeting Sedaris because he is gay.
August 20–26, Rackham: Carol the fox becomes a regular. Hugh objects to feeding her; Sedaris argues that she might be hit by a car tomorrow.
September 12–29, Rackham: Carol returns after a long absence. Sedaris feeds her pork shoulder and chicken legs. He is later stung by a wasp in his bedroom and declares bees can “kiss my ass.”
October 25, New Orleans: He finds a homeless man with long, dirty nails; later returns a lost driver’s license and credit card to a drunk woman.
November 8–9, Santa Fe / Portland: He tells a driver he will vote for Hillary. Trump wins; Sedaris is in shock and receives messages from friends asking to live in his backyard.
December 5, Rackham: Hugh’s piano recital. Sedaris reflects on vulnerability and the impossibility of perfection.
December 8, Paris: His periodontist calls Trump supporters stupid; Sedaris looks at his implants and thinks of them as bought, not his own.

Character Development

David Sedaris grows increasingly political, moving from amused observer to active commentator. His frustration with the Trump victory and the Brexit outcome shows a more urgently engaged persona. His relationship with the fox Carol reveals a softer, almost paternal side.
Hugh is seen tending his garden, playing piano, and threatening to return to North Carolina. His vulnerability during the recital deepens the portrait of their partnership.
Lou Sedaris (Dad) is a Trump supporter who parrots Fox News. His physical decline and his rigid views create both humour and tension.
Amy Sedaris appears in a few entries, her deadpan humour intact (pretending to call on her wallet, covering her face in sixth‑grade sex‑ed).
Carol the fox becomes a minor character, illustrating Sedaris’s need for connection and his ability to anthropomorphize.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Political Polarisation: The chapter contrasts Sedaris’s liberal views with his father’s Fox‑fuelled conservatism and the shock of the 2016 election.
Gun Control and Safety: The Orlando shooting is used to question why one gunman can ruin automatic rifles for everyone else while other security restrictions are accepted.
Brexit and Identity: Sedaris mocks the word “identity” as a vague excuse; he worries about the practical consequences for workers and his own passport.
Aging and Vulnerability: Hugh’s piano recital, Sedaris’s wasp sting, and his periodontal appointment all highlight physical decline and the struggle for grace.
Animal Encounters: Carol the fox, the mole named Margaret, and the wasp serve as mirrors for human connection, dependency, and frustration.
Cultural Differences: From Australian slang (“old boiler,” “chunder”) to Japanese restaurant names, Sedaris highlights how language and customs reveal deeper values.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter captures a pivotal year in global politics through Sedaris’s intimate diary lens. The Orlando shooting, Brexit, and the Trump election are not mere news events but personal crises that colour his daily life. The contrast between his cozy English existence (fox‑feeding, pub dinners) and the upheaval in America and Britain gives the year a tragicomic weight. His father’s unwavering support for Trump and Sedaris’s own helpless rage make this one of the most overtly political sections of the entire book. It also deepens his character as someone who, despite success and a settled home, still feels the sting of being an outsider—and who finds solace in a wild fox.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Sedaris use the Orlando nightclub shooting to critique U.S. gun policy?
He points out that one “lone crazy person” can cause blanket bans on liquids or shoes on planes, yet the same logic is not applied to automatic rifles. He argues that making guns harder to buy would force most people to simply yell when angry.

2. What does the interaction between Sedaris’s father and Sedaris reveal about their political divide?
His father praises Trump as a “businessman with courage” and trusts Fox News as “fair and balanced.” Sedaris responds with sarcasm, calling Fox “fair and balanced” because they say so on air. The exchange shows a generational and ideological rift that Sedaris cannot bridge.

3. Why does Sedaris become so attached to Carol the fox, and what does this say about his personality?
Carol represents a wild thing he can nurture without the complications of human relationships. He feels rejected when she doesn’t think of him, revealing a need for reciprocal affection. Hugh accuses him of “manipulating” animals the way he does people, which Sedaris half‑acknowledges.