Rhetorical Analysis Of Water Works

“This is Water”, a commencement speech by David Foster Wallace to the graduating class of 2005 at Kenyon College, talks about how they, the students, haven’t faced real life yet and how their surroundings are what they’ve been in and are used to. Wallace conveys his message very well because of his use of emotional appeal as well as his word choice. He reminds his audience to look beyond yourself and think about how life is not just your story and your world, it’s about others and stepping into their shoes for a minute and seeing other perspectives. Most importantly, he is able to speak from personal stories and relatable scenarios which makes him credible and his speech becomes applicable to the audience at the graduation.

Another rhetorical strategy that Wallace incorporated in his essay is appeal to logos. As mentioned in paragraph 2, Wallace did not purposely use stories to bore his audience, but to support his claim which illustrates the way how they perceive certain situations According to both stories, the fish and eskimos, the audience logically deduced that the characters in both scenarios were wrong based on their lack of reasoning. The fish in Wallace’s story asks, “What the hell is water?” (Wallace 1) and the atheist inaccurately assumes that God does not exist because God was not there at the despairing moment to rescue him; instead, he had to rely on “a couple of Eskimos.” (Wallace 2) In both cases, the audience comprehends Wallace’s conceptual

For this paper water structures and infrastructures were selected as focus points because the longer we wait to fix issues with them, the more expensive it will get, in other words, we are in a race against time. Studying the past it is easy to see how water availability made population explode in an area such as Southern California, where savvy marketing and great politics made it happen. Particularly, for Los Angeles and for the purposes of public narrative, Marc Reisner’s Cadillac Desert does a great job at understanding and identifying the politics and key figures in getting water to Los Angeles. Great hydrologic structures were created using both manpower and water politics. It is important to state that there are connections between water, politics, environment, and geography when analyzing what the biggest problems involving water structures and infrastructures (Reisner.) We must think of water as both a socio-political issue and a natural resource, whose fate is molded by the understanding of its connectivity to itself, man-made structures, geography, environment, and society. The classes taken in this program have taught us ideals that in order to become a great water resource manager, one must master the political and scientific knowledge to make decisions that are prosperous for society and the environment. Furthermore, one must know the United States’ hydrological history in order to gain manipulation upon the system that makes it both thrive and deteriorate.

In David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech, This is Water, addressed to the 2005 graduating class of Kenyon College, he aims to encourage his audience to be aware of the world around them and to be conscious of their attitude towards others. Wallace’s underlying purpose is to reveal how genuine learning permits people to recognize their default setting and it allows them to alter it. To convey these messages, he uses pathos by placing the reader in relatable situations and establishing a connection with his audience Wallace begins his speech by referring to a metaphorical story about fishes and although its meaning isn’t crystal clear until the end, it causes the reader to find interest in his speech and opens their minds to listen. He also establishes credibility with the audience by reminding them that he is just like them and admits his own mistakes. This credibility is vital for the remaining of the essay because it helps the audience not to feel emotionally manipulated through his use of pathos.

The original audience of David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech, This is Water, was to the graduating class of 2005 at Kenyon College, their families, and friends who attended. However, after being published in the book, This is Water, it became clear that the speech was intended for all young adults. Wallace’s speech talked about the value of higher education, overcoming life’s daily annoyances, and becoming conscious of the world around us. Wallace had previously written many successful novels during his life, which ended after his suicide in 2008.

In his speech This is Water, David Foster Wallace utilizes anecdotes of the daily routines of the average adult that the newly graduate will now experience. Wallace asserts to the graduating class that the overall purpose of higher education is having the ability and freedom to mindfully choose how we perceive others and to appropriately adjust our way of thinking. Wallace believes that if we really take the time to consider what we think about and control our thoughts that the scripts that are embedded in our minds can be reprogrammed to reveal what has been blind to us. Wallace’s main idea is that adults are self-centered and they lack compassion for others simply, because our thought process is set on auto pilot. Wallace’s overall claim is that we all have a choice, which is the theme of his speech.

Water in daytripper reoccurs symbolically in the story, what it represents to me in this story is revival/rebirth. Before Bras goes to Salvador, he dreams of being on a boat surrounded by water and next to him is a mysterious woman asking him to bring ‘pretty things’. Bras discover endless possibilities from the seas from Iemanja, in a dream they are riding on a boat through rough seas being tossed around with baskets that seem to symbolize his own wishes and desires. This shows how in bras dreams his life’s goals are laid out as he wishes, Bras through his life just like how water flows in and out never knowing where it will end. His dreams tell him time his time is running out, and that he needs to make the most of his chances that he can get. Every dream he has before he is awakening with “wake up before it’s too late.”(203).

In the article, “The Wrong Way to Think about California Water”, by Michael Hiltzik, Hiltzik writes about some people’s perspectives of the water usage in California. I disagree with some of them, but I also agree to some. I relate to one of the perspectives and I will try to stop doing what is wasting water.

This essay analyzes Wallace’s “This is Water”, major arguments, the rhetoric used and genuine accessible personal

In today’s society, the idea of a limited resource is not a foreign concept. Most people understand that eventually humans will use up many of these resources, such as fossil fuels, and they will cease to exist. However, very rarely does a conversation about limited resources get started over the water. While water itself is not a limited resource, clean drinkable water is becoming scarcer as people continue to use excess water. The documentary “Last Call at the Oasis” highlights how precious water is to survival and just how much miss use of water occurs in the United States alone. Even though the United States has gone down the wrong path with its water consumption methods, it may not be too late to recover. With the proper systems and education in place, the chances of delaying a water crisis increase exponentially.

When referring to Arizona’s water Kris Mayes, chairwoman of the state’s utility regulatory panel once said, “How do you say just how valuable water is in an arid state like Arizona?” she said. “It’s like the credit-card commercial-it’s priceless” (McKinnon). She was right, because in a dry state like Arizona, water is pretty important. To say water is ‘pretty important’ for the world is an understatement. We use water to function. And when we think of water we think of saving it. Keep the faucets from dripping or turn off the water while brushing your teeth. There are numerous tips for water conservation, but people don’t often think of the damage that is already done. Damages like ‘dead zones’. Dead zones in the ocean have been around for

Thesis statement (central idea): Access and availability to fresh water are essential to the survival of the human race. Fresh water is a finite source and once it is gone, we have limited options to replenish it, so we must take action to conserve the fresh water we do have especially at home in the United States.

Water conservation is vital for human, plant and animal survival, it is a precious resource and must be sustained (Department of Health, 2017). Nash the Water Warrior is a Stage 1 picture book which highlights ways water is used at home, tips to save water, the importance of water sustainability and the responsibility for future generations (O’Rourke, 2017), incorporating the Stage 1 outcome “recognise the importance and relevance of science and technology in their lives now and for their future” (NESA, 2012). The story allows the readers to see the process and results of a fair test, giving the readers evidence based incentive to have inquiries, and be motivated to make changes regarding their water consumption, leading them to have admiration for the Earth resources.

This review will analyse the book’s success in communicating the topics covered to previously uninformed readers, and the effectiveness of the author to persuade readers to his contention – that America is in a water crisis, and for it to be rectified, or merely improved, drastic changes must be implemented to the nation’s water management, most importantly at a federal level. ‘Unquenchable’ looks into America’s most serious water crisis ever experienced through various case studies from states and cities across the country. Glennon discusses the causation factors and attempts of mitigation for this crisis, as well as providing his own suggestions of reform for our most precious resource, water. This book was incredibly insightful, and

Water is the most important natural source. There has been activism all over the world to attain governed pricing mechanisms and market transactions due to its mobility and centrality to sustenance of human life. The physical, conceptual, and social plasticity aspects of water as a resource create uncertainty with regard to handling and thus posing critical questions in response to use and management.