David Sedaris 'Commencement Speeches What I Learned'

The importance of attending an institute of higher learning continues to grow as the job market becomes more competitive, and a diploma is essentially required to compete in it. However, with the growing demand for college and university successful students the concept of education has become clouded. In two commencement speeches, one by David Sedaris and the other by David Wallace, this concept of what education means and how it is viewed by the individual student is discussed as well as the process of thinking. David Seders, in his speech What I Learned, writes in a satirical format based on how education is being viewed. David Wallace in his commencement speech addresses the process of thinking and being self-aware with a college education.

Its the education itself and how your idea of thinking changes, ultimately that is most valuable asset once you leave college. Sedaris writes how “The alchemy majors wanted to know how much money they'd be making after graduation.” Sedaris considers this a a very narrow minded view of your present self as your only worry is the unknowing success of your future. Also he would claim that it is a very limited view of your life and your future, because your not compelled to learn for your sake but rather for your future money’s sake. Wallace would coincide with Sedaris’ statement stating how “If you worship money you will never have enough of it”(34) Wallace claims that the money and rich that people strive for is inferior to the education and knowledge that can be achieved. Both Sedaris and Wallace value education higher then job security or money completely overlooking the reason for attending college; to learn how to

Sedaris throughout his speech writes in a humorous form, if it’s from claiming he went to school before jesus, to studying patricide and matricide. Sedaris writes how he “Enjoyed pillaging and astrology”(2) to reveal the absurdity of classes that had nothing to do with his real major. He says that these classes show how modern education requires students to take unreasonable classes only to never have them be relevant in their lives again. He also uses satire to describe parents, arguing how parents of college students are naive when it comes to their children studies. Sedaris’ own parents said “You’re going to study literature and get a job doing what? Literaturizing?”(Sedaris) Sedaris would claim how parents force feed their children a way of thinking. However attending an institute of higher learning requires one to think for themselves, be self aware as Wallace would say. Wallace would respond to Sedaris’ father by proclaiming that a parent should have no say when it comes to the self awareness of a student arguing how judging a student about his thoughts and beliefs is corrupting to his self awareness. These satirical remarks that sedaris uses publishes the role of parents taking away the education from their children. Both authors would agree that the students who have decisions made by their parents are going to college for the wrong reason and that instead it should be for selfish