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Rhetorical Analysis Of David Foster Wallace's Commencement Speech

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David Foster Wallace’s Commencement speech persuades its audience by employing a combination of narrative storytelling, emotional appeal, and contrasting rhetorical devices to challenge conventional thinking about education and personal awareness. Wallace encourages the graduates of the 2005 graduating class at Kenyon College to examine their default perspectives and embrace a more conscious, empathetic approach to navigating adult life. While some may argue that Wallace's use of logical fallacies undermines the strength of his argument. His overall effectiveness lies in prompting reflection and sparking meaningful dialogue about the true value of education and the pursuit of genuine fulfillment in modern society. Wallace employs various rhetorical …show more content…

"(0:52-1:05) These stories serve to capture the audience's attention and provide concrete examples to illustrate his points. By grounding his argument in relatable stories, Wallace makes his message more accessible and memorable. These anecdotes show the importance of recognizing our default settings and making conscious choices about how we perceive and engage with the world. Additionally, Wallace incorporates rhetorical questions and directs the audience, inviting them to reflect on their own experiences and perspectives. This helps build a sense of shared experience and connect with the audience on a deeper level. For example, he asks, "What the hell is water?" "(0:48-0:54) challenging the audience to consider the hidden realities that shape their everyday lives. By directly engaging with his audience in this way, Wallace encourages active participation and reflection, further reinforcing his …show more content…

Instead, individuals often navigate a spectrum of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influenced by a multitude of factors. Wallace doesn't fully acknowledge the complexity of human psychology and behavior. Despite potential criticisms, Wallace's speech remains effective in prompting reflection and challenging conventional thinking. As he puts it, "Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think." (1:44-2:01) Beyond the rhetorical strategies and narrative elements, David Foster Wallace's speech consists of dynamic interaction with the audience. Wallace doesn't merely deliver a monologue, but rather invites the graduates to actively participate in the exploration of his ideas. Throughout the speech, he pauses to address potential reactions or objections that the audience might have, thereby acknowledging and validating their thoughts and feelings. For instance, when discussing the self-centered default setting, Wallace anticipates the audience's skepticism and preemptively addresses it by acknowledging the validity of certain self-interested behaviors in certain

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Foster Wallace delivers the 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address. During this speech, Wallace accentuates to the students that a liberal art education is all about teaching you how to think. This means you have the freedom to think differently. He talks about having a true education is more about simple awareness. Wallace goes on to discuss that thinking is about being less self-centered and being more aware of the people around us.

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In his commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005, David Foster Wallace was tasked with the responsibility of imparting some wisdom onto the graduating class. Wallace’s message to a room of full soon-to-be college graduates at the precipice of the of their impending true adulthood, he offers them a message that cuts through the mess and concisely delivers a message that many would ironically overlook, which is for the students to realize that at times, imperative life lessons are not only the ones that they cannot conceive or believe, but the ones that are obvious but hard to acknowledge let alone discuss. The lesson in this is that no matter how instinctive that cynicism is, it is imperative that people must try to more honest and open

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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.

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He feels that “Other people’s thoughts and feelings have to be communicated to you somehow, but your own are so immediate, urgent, real”(Wallace 2). Wallace is saying that it is easier to only notice and think about one’s own feelings. Later in “This is Water”, Wallace changes his thinking to include others’ possible thoughts and feelings into the way he sees situations that he is put into. The woman in A Long Walk to Water, only knows her own feelings, as they are “immediate, urgent, real” to her and she changes her mind without fully understanding Salva’s perspective and what he is going through. (Wallace 2)

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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.

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