The autobiography, "My Life and Hard Times," written by James Thurber, is a demonstration of literary honesty at its best. Although the story often seems to defy logic due to its short and unchronological structure, exaggerated details and improbable situations, Thurber forges these flaws into an effective true story that is nearly void of ego. With applications of cartoon images and simple titles that help the reader navigate the segmented timeline, Thurber's informal approach to writing remains his greatest rhetorical prowess.
             Thurber sits on the edge of the literary chair with "My Life and Hard Times". It's a book of only one hundred pages, with at least ten of those filled with cartoon images. Why, then, is this book known as the "Jewel of English Writing" by many? (LongRobert)
             In his autobiography, James Thurber asks his audience to avoid getting tangled by his omissions in the text. For example, he frankly states in one of the chapters that "the other servants I don't remember so clearly, except the one who set the house on fire - her name eludes me." (ThurberJames,53). He's unashamed to admit that his memory is poor, and once acknowledging it, leniently proceeds. In another occasion, when his "mother didn't know what possessed me...I didn't either, except that I was pretty mad," he quickly ties a knot on the readers' curiosities by acknowledging his ignorance to the matter at hand (ThurberJames,58). This is not an irresponsible proudness, but honesty and modesty on his part; he yields the dictatorial position that many autobiographers take. His prevention from plunging deeper into unneeded subjects - which I find a responsible approach considering the overall length of the book - simply suggests that the essence of an episode is insignificant to what he chose to leave out. Furthermore, doing this dissuades him from placing a dense chunk of descriptions, which ...