David Foster Wallace This Is Water Summary

This is Water, was a commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College in 2005. Ever since this speech has been given it has become well known. Because of the length, it can be hard to read through the speech while trying to understand the whole idea of it. Wallace fills the speech with stories, examples, and vivid ideas while trying to convince these college graduates how to view life in a positive perspective. While this speech is packed full of ideas he manages to give it in a way outside of the norm for commencement speeches. Yet still gets all the information to the graduates and anyone else who listens to it.

In David Foster Wallace’s graduation speech, This Is Water, he uses logical and emotional appeals to discuss the importance of critical thinking. Wallace uses the term “conscious” to signal critical thinkers, while those who do not think critically are referred to as “unconscious.” Wallace’s main argument is that a person has the choice to think critically and should do so every day. Wallace’s analysis of consciousness and unconsciousness focusses too heavily on the logical and emotional appeals and ignores the possible ethical arguments that support the development of conscious societies, such as activism. In doing so, Wallace favours the self-interested members of the audience and alienates those who favour altruism, limiting the

“The Swimmer,” a short fiction by John Cheever, presents a theme to the reader about the unavoidable changes of life. The story focuses on the round character by the name of Neddy Merrill who is in extreme denial about the reality of his life. He has lost his youth, wealth, and family yet only at the end of the story does he develop the most by experiencing a glimpse of realization on all that he has indeed lost. In the short story “The Swimmer,” John Cheever uses point of view, setting and symbolism to show the value of true relationships and the moments of life that are taken for granted.

1. David Foster Wallace opens his speech with an anecdote about fish and water. Metaphorically, what does this anecdote represent? What impact does it have when Wallace returns to the line “This is water”again at the end of the speech?

For my cultural cache book report I chose to read the book, The Color of Water by James McBride. I learned several things about what life was like in the mid-1900’s and in which may be why we still face issues with racial differences. McBride does a great job of illustrating his internal and external challenges that he faces throughout his life. I also learned more about African American culture in the United States and gave me a desire to be a part of positive change to this particular racial group.

In The Color of Water by James McBride he faces plenty of obstacles in his life. One that I think was very important during his childhood is in chapter 14 where makes a few bad choices after his stepfather, Hunter Jordan, dies. Since James didn't get to know his biological father, Hunter was the closest he ever came to having one. He makes it clear that his family loved Hunter and when he died they were all devastated but none as much as their mother. It's safe to say she wasn't the same and that can be seen when McBride says "She sent us off to school and tried to maintain her crazy house as usual, ranting about this and that, but the fire was gone" (McBride, 137). I think his mother's behavior no doubt had some effect on the way he acted.

Water is a clear, colourless, odourless, and tasteless liquid; an essential substance for most plant and animal life, and vital for human existence. In his novel, The Wars, Canadian author Timothy Findley uses water, one of the four elements of nature, and discusses its role in the nightmarish world of trench warfare and in a world gone mad. Water imagery serves an important role and it’s meaning evolves throughout the novel. Water symbolizes life, Robert’s transitions, and Robert’s shattered innocence, as well as the change that comes along with it.

Water is also an essential part of Steinbeck’s connection of setting to familial conflict, with the lack of water sowing seeds of discontent in both families, though Steinbeck’s aforementioned theme of choice between good and evil defines what both families do with such misfortune. Lack of water on their property allows the Hamiltons to grow closer, with Samuel’s disappointment with his lack of success in farming being outweighed by his joy in his children, “Water would have made them comparatively rich...all in all it was a good firm-grounded family….Samuel was well pleased with the fruit of his loins,” (Steinbeck 507). By contrast, the drought of the land in Adam’s family is representative of the lack of parenting, how Adam is completely devoid of emotion once Cathy leaves, “Adam looked more gaunt than Samuel remembered. His eyes were dull, as though he did not use them much for seeing,” (655). This juxtaposition is further emphasized by Samuel’s biblical connection, as Samuel was a prophet, a man who could see into the future and thus see the value in raising children despite the difficulties while Adam cannot see beyond his own hardship. Furthermore, the lack of water enrichs the idea that if a family preserves through such difficulties, they will be greatly rewarded, “And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones, and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not

This is Water is the most read piece by David Foster Wallace. This is Water was written in the twenty-first century and used as a commencement speech. David Wallace delivered the speech at Kenyon College in two thousand five, for a graduating class. Throughout the essay, Wallace gives references to the generations today. Also, Wallace does such by his illustrations of how many are unconscious in life if its from traffic, worship, or their default settings.

We are all selfish no matter how hard we try to deny it. I learned this by listening to the speech “This is Water”, by David Foster Wallace. In the speech, Wallace discusses that if we actually think about what we think about, then we can make our lives better. He also talks about how the exact same experience means two different things to two different people based on their beliefs. Another thing he talks about is that we are all self-centered and tend to interpret life just thinking about ourselves. I completely agree with Wallace’s ideas of people being self-centered and also that people give different meanings to the exact same thing, because they make sense and also because that is how we all think, but no one wants to accept it.

The article “ Into the Dark Water” helped me understand what was happening by all of the quotes Lauren Tarshis put in the story. It also helped me feel how Jack Thayer a 17 - year old boy who was thankful to be on the Titanic felt about his whole journey through his quotes in the story that made me read till the end.

While walking around in every day life, don’t accept and believe what you are told from everyone else. Always keep your mind open to new things because if you have an experience that makes you become aware you will truly learn. Both Wallace and Plato, have an underlying theme in their writing which shows the importance of self awareness and that true knowledge comes from experience.

Wallace uses a series of anecdotes to express in funny or serious ways his principle purpose of the speech.

The fictitious Infinite Jest is considered to be one of the greatest novels ever created. It stemmed from the mind of the brilliant, yet complicated David Foster Wallace – who, for better or worse, would change the dynamic in which we (whether you know it or not) digest and interpret entertainment.

First, Charles Wallace prefers to communicate spoken language with the red-eyed man. For example in paragraph 8, Charles Wallace states that, “You didn't thinks we were not as easy as that did you?, falling for the