Wallace Rhetorical Analysis free essay sample

A Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"This is Water† If one were to try to imagine a world without air, then it would certainly be very different than the world as humans know it. Since air is essential to the livelihood of most life on Earth, it could be considered an â€Å"important reality. † In David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech, â€Å"This is Water† to the 2005 graduating class of Kenyon College, Wallace states that â€Å"the most obvious, ubiquitous, important realities are often the ones that are the hardest to see and talk about. † (Wallace) Despite the necessity for air, most take its beautiful existence for granted. Wallace believes unawareness leads to unhappiness, and thus wants his audience to actively think about their surroundings. He supports this claim by providing a short parable as an extended metaphor, establishing his credibility through the Aristotelian appeal of Ethos, and examining stereotypes commonly held in society. This argument is designed to leave Wallaces audience making attempts to view the world with attentive eyes and develop thoughtful minds. We will write a custom essay sample on Wallace Rhetorical Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Those who heard this speech live were all, in some way, connected to Kenyon College, a small liberal arts school. Besides graduating students, there were numerous parents, professors, and faculty in attendance. The students, heading into the workforce, and many others hearing it, were formally educated, and thus had acquired knowledge leading to a wide variety of viewpoints. Some of them probably thought they had the world figured out. While the intended audience of Wallace’s speech was literally his audience of the graduating class of 2005 at Kenyon College, this piece has become quite popular since its delivery. Perhaps its popularity is due to its relatable aspects. Today, this speech is analyzed in freshman English classes, for example. This is a period in life in which teenagers often come to terms with who they are, and who they would like to be, all while adjusting to their newly found â€Å"freedom† from their parents households. By analyzing this piece in the above context, students will hopefully strive for the kind of real freedom Wallace describes that â€Å"involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day. Which, according to him, will have one â€Å"making it to 30, or maybe 50, without wanting to shoot [oneself] in the head. † While Wallace aimed to prevent rising leaders of the world from wanting to end their lives, he, in broader terms, wanted people to be aware of their surroundings so that they can better themselves. In â€Å"This is Water† Wallace speaks from his own experiences in order to help others; he went through depression before finally hanging himself in 2008. One should not think of this as contradicting his points, though. This act shows that Wallace, too, was human, and capable of mistakes. Furthermore, he wanted people to have better lives than he did, and he believed they can do so by following his advice. A short parable comprises the opening paragraph of Wallace’s speech. In this, there are two fish swimming along when they pass an older fish, headed in the opposite direction, that asks them how the water is. The two fish continue along for a bit before one asks the other â€Å"what the hell is water? † This serves as an extended metaphor used by Wallace to demonstrate his main argument for awareness in life. Just as the fish do not consider their surroundings, people more often than not fail to consider others, which are to them as much of the scenery as water is to fish. This parable is the framework for the rest of his speech. It is structured to hook in the audience. Also, it gives a metaphorical background to real-life examples used in the speech such as not considering that â€Å"the Hummer that just cut [oneself] off is maybe being driven by a father whose little child is hurt or sick in the seat next to him, and hes trying to rush to the hospital, and hes in a way bigger, more legitimate hurry,† which makes the message even more vivid. The parable ends in a memorable manner, as well. Its resounding closing statement â€Å"that we have to keep reminding ourselves, over and over: ’this is water, this is water,’ ties everything back together that effort must be made in order to see people and consider their lives instead of viewing them as scenery. By building common ground with the audience before getting far into his speech, Wallace hopes the crowd will see some of themselves in his experiences; relating with the Kenyon students would put more weight behind his argument to them. College-aged Americans might feel as if they are the epitome of existence, that the world revolves around them, and others are both inferior and in their way. Wallace recognizes this phenomenon, and confidently explains how it is normal human thinking. â€Å"This sort of natural, basic self-centeredness,† he elaborates, is not discussed â€Å"because its so socially repulsive, but its pretty much the same for all of us, deep down. † Wallace surely made a connection with the students by sharing his honest feelings, despite the negative picture they paint. He also criticizes the flaw in himself, developed from his own education, â€Å"to over-intellectualize stuff,† which is not a trait one would expect to hear referred to in a negative manner during a college graduation speech. Thus, by being frank with the students, Wallace built his ethos. He has shown that his words, while not conventional, are worth listening to. Furthermore, he does not alienate anyone by speaking for or against any religious belief or moral code, allowing for those from any culture to appreciate Wallace’s advice. Even those that would not consider themselves religious still worship some thing or quality, according to Wallace. He muses, â€Å"the only choice we get is what to worship. † As a people, we are often consumed by our wants, it is crucial for ones consciousness to keep themselves in check before falling into their own traps. If ones materialistic, for example, then they will not ever be satisfied with their possessions, but will continue to want more. Most likely, there were students in the audience who always had everything they wanted provided for them by their parents, turned greedy, that do not understand the value of a dollar. On the other hand, if one values their public opinion too highly, they become unable to react appropriately when confronted with criticism. Students could become this way through being the center of attention in their social group. Wallace here is making use of these stereotypes to relate to the Kenyon students. These characteristics are familiar in the world, especially for graduating college students to have developed after finally living on their own over the past few years. Many hearing the speech must have connected these descriptors to their own lives. Then Wallace’s speech made a personal impression on those individuals. For the rest, who didn’t see themselves in the examples, they can at least understand the behavior of others driven by their desires. The majority of people have most likely felt the way described in Wallaces speech, frustrated by the mundane activities of day-to-day life, if they are not feeling that way now. Therefore, one can easily relate to its content. Some might even be viewing the world differently because of Wallaces words, having decided to be more aware of both their self and surroundings. Wallace must have considered that this speech could produce such a strong reaction.