David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water” and Jonathan Franzen’s “Oh the Places You’ll Go” are commencement speeches at Kenyon College, delivered by amazing authors. Although Wallace and Franzen's speeches convey different perspectives and ideas, both speeches advise students with a significant message about life. To begin with, the differences between Wallace’s and Franzen’s speeches; one focuses on the purpose of education and the other on our infatuation with technology. In his speech, Wallace indicates the purpose of liberal arts education. Wallace(2004) explains, "why the degree you are about to receive has actual human value instead of just a material payoff” (p.3). The purpose of liberal arts education as Wallace describe, is to prepare you for adulthood and make you a critical thinker. Franzen's speech, on the other hand, goes further into the issue of technology as it concerns love. According to Franzen (2011), "our technology has become extremely adept at creating …show more content…
Wallace talked about how the way we think can make a difference in our lives. Wallace(2004) explains, "learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience” (p.12). Learning to be aware of our surroundings is a part of learning to control our mind, and thinking critically and openly. Franzen, on the other hand, talked about the difference between being liked and being loved. According to Franzen(2011), "If you dedicate your existence to being likable, however, and if you adopt whatever cool persona is necessary to make it happen, it suggests that you've despaired of being loved for who you really are” (p.12). There is a differences between being likable and
In addition, she appeals to the emotions of her audience by writing on a deeper emotional level and referring to college as a self-finding, life-changing experience, rather than another unpleasant chore in one’s life. Throughout Addison’s article she successfully builds strong emotional connections with her readers through words of philosophy and personal experience. Addison’s techniques for appealing to the emotions of the audience are undoubtedly
“This Is Water,” by David Foster Wallace establishes a mental discussion in his speech: Bide in an unconscious state (default-setting) or free ourselves from this “mental suicide” through rewiring our thinking. Wallace offers in-depth insight about one’s default-setting. Wallace argues that our default setting is self-centeredness and throughout his speech guides his audience — college graduates— through an intervention; The audience should re-determine on life’s priorities. Wallace is able to persuade his audience and develops his integrity through the help of perspective and imposes his ad hominem argument; Wallace criticizes the matter of remaining in one’s default setting through his point of view. Wallace lectures,“ certain of is...deluded,”
“How to Get the Most Out of Yourself" by Alan Loy McGinnis a psychologist is about finding the key to success. The idea is that success is nothing more than having self-confidence. Whenever we face failures or bad luck we end up putting ourselves down which makes it seem impossible for us to ever be successful. McGinnis advices that we should keep our chin high and improve on our failures instead of letting them bring us down. McGinnis states that we should focus on our abilities and not on our weak ones.
This is Water: a Rhetoric Masterpiece. David Foster Wallace delivered a surprisingly invigorating commencement speech for the Liberal Arts graduating class from Kenyon College in 2005. Wallace is famous for his novel Infinite Jest and was named one of the best authors of all time in Times magazine from the years 1995-2005. So there was no surprise, the speech was full of captivating, genius and brilliant rhetoric.
Wallace, David Foster "This is Water" Kenyon College Commencement Speech 2005 The general argument by David Foster Wallace in his work "This is Water" is that sometimes the most obvious realities are the hardest to comprehend. More specifically, he argues that thinking negatively is not a choice but a natural setting and we need to start thinking cognitively and outside the box. Wallace performs this speech for a group of graduating college students to prepare them for the future life they are about to embark on. He includes the grocery store example so that the reader's can connect to the story because they have gone through that situation themselves; he is trying to connect to the audience.
Today, money has made many people believe that you need to have a lot of money to live a great, happy life. People in the world, especially the people who don’t have as much money as the ones that do, look up to people like popular idols, because they have money. People think they have a great living life with all the money they have earned during their lives. In the short story “Why You Reckon?” by Langston Hughes, the author uses diction, colloquialism and dialect to express the fact that just because people have the money to go out to eat somewhere expensive or buy the newest clothes, does not mean that a person is happy all the time and expresses how people in the town talks. Money is what makes the world goes round and everyone has come
In my opinion, I agree with Murray’s claim that four year college is not worth, job satisfaction for intrinsic reward, and the dark side of the Bachelor's degree. In my view, Murray’s is right, because college requires student to take 32 courses in four years or longer and not all courses are relate to the field they study with. More specifically, I believe that four years college will take more time to achieve our goal and knowledges doesn’t teach us how to make a living in our society. Murray described in his article, “More people should be getting the basic of a liberal education. But for most students, the places to provide those basics are elementary and middle school” (235).
David Foster Wallace is an American writer. He spoke at the Kenyon Commencement Address in 2005, where he gave a speech to the graduating class of the year. David tells the graduates of Kenyon College what the true meaning of a liberal arts degree is, and how they should go about finding it. David Foster Wallace’s appeals to credibility, emotion and logical reasoning in his speech – “This Is Water” – to strengthen the idea that the meaning of education is learning how and what to think, independently.
The way one perceives life can differ from the ways of other people. Although perception can be interpreted in many different ways, David Wallace and Jim Carrey bring a different but interesting approach to the subject of perception. David Wallace explained his approach of perception during his commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005. Jim Carrey also explained his approach to perception during a commencement speech that he gave at Mum University in 2014. Wallace’s main point is that by changing the view of mundane situations people would find themselves enjoying life instead of being depressed.
David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech “This is Water” at Kenyon College is often thought of as one of the most influential speeches because it calls the graduates to observe the world around them through a different lens. However, he does not accomplish that by calling the graduates to action, but instead challenges them to use their education. He also appeals to the students’ emotions through his use of ethos, logos, and pathos. Although people mostly only remember the antidotes, it is the message associated with reoccurring emotions and literary devices throughout the speech that moves the reader into action. Wallace is able to captivate his audience and persuade them to view the world without themselves at the center through his tactful use of rhetoric.
In David Foster Wallace’s “ Kenyon Commencement Speech,” he discusses the importance of liberal arts education in “teaching you how to think” (Wallace, 199). He mentions how education is beyond the knowledge we learn, but about simple awareness will impact the choices we make for better or worse. The real value of education cannot be found in a career (you may or may not be fired from), but it can be found in the way you view things through a different perspective and by considering how other factors can contribute to everyday life. This new approach in thinking will allow us to appreciate our lives and overcome our inner “default setting” towards the world (Wallace, 199). I agree with Wallace’s argument because the purpose of higher education should not be about having career-specific skills and obtaining a degree, but about intellectual and personal growth will help us survive in the real world.
I. Introduction Paragraph A. David Foster Wallace gave a commencement speech that taught lessons about having the ability to choose how to think in situations and to be flexible in their opinions. David Foster Wallace persuades the audience to be open-minded and selfless through rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos. Wallace wants the audience to realize that it is best to deviate from one’s own thoughts and think of others; if one cannot exercise this, then adult life will be difficult. The graduates are about to enter routine in adulthood, therefore, positive thoughts can alter a situation. B. Thesis: In “David Foster Wallace, In His Own Words,” David Wallace’s motive is to influence college graduates to be open-minded and
What elements of the illustrations make it worthy of a Caldecott award or honor? What distinguishes these illustrations? Consider the design and layout of the book, visual elements, use of space, media, perspective, and style. The illustrations in Always Room for One More helps the reader determine the setting of the story.
Take Me There Sam Fagan Ms. Juzwik 3rd Hour Take Me There, by Susanne Colasanti is a romance story told from three different perspectives. Rhiannon is heartbroken when her boyfriend Steve breaks up with her. She is still in love with him and throughout the story tries to get him back.
The quote, by Moira de Swardt, emphasises the psychological damage inflicted by war, not only upon the soldiers, but also the civilians connected to the soldiers and anyone who is human enough to care. The South African Border War left psychological wounds on soldiers which could never be repaired and metaphorical scars on those who watched their loved ones suffer, unfortunately in vain for an ideological warfare crafted by a corrupt government. In the play ‘Somewhere on the Border’, by Anthony Akerman, one can witness the psychological damage as a result of war by analysing the characters Bombardier Kotze, Doug Campbell, David Levitt, Paul Marais, Hennie Badenhorst and Trevor Mowbray. The character Bombardier Kotze possess military authority throughout the play as he has been in the army for fifteen years.