This Is Water Speech Analysis

1331 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay about the value of liberal arts education

What is the True Meaning of a Liberal Arts Education? What is life without an education? Education plays a very crucial role in our lives. After all, we must dedicate a substantial amount of time to our education in order for a successful future. Along the journey of education, we may face obstacles, as well as positive influences that give us the extra motivation we may need. However, it is obvious that some may take education lighter than others. George Saunders and David Foster Wallace are both prestigious and motivational speakers who have made great impacts on students and other people throughout the world through their aspiring words. George Saunders “Advice to Graduates” speech is truly encouraging and moving. He delivered this …show more content…

It is far from the expected commencement speech one would typically hear at a college graduation. The topic of decision making and change throughout one’s life was reiterated frequently throughout the speech. David Foster Wallace speaks on the element of people putting themselves first along with their immediate needs, rather than the others who are surrounding us. He puts an emphasis on being aware of your surroundings in efforts to open new opportunities. Wallace warns the listeners about the worship of the intellect, and touches on choices towards the climax of the speech. He tells about his personal struggles with depression and anxiety, and how becoming aware of his surroundings, led him to be aware that “This is Water”. Ultimately, his message is to inform the listeners to pay close attention and be aware of their surroundings, because our decisions can potentially improve the quality of our own …show more content…

He reiterates the fact that he is speaking nothing but the truth, in fact he refers to it as the “Capital T-Truth” (page 6). Wallace communicates the value of higher education, and being fully aware of one’s surrounding, while remaining humble. His message of being cautious and not failing to resist the environment around us was portrayed clearly throughout his

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of The New Liberal Arts By Sanford Ungar

    395 Words  | 1 Pages

    All though “The New Liberal Arts”, Sanford J. Ungar uses seven misconceptions about liberal arts on why learning the liberal arts. And explain why is still relevant and will be for coming years. The first misperception that he advocates is that a liberal arts degree is no longer affordable. Vocational training is better alternative to liberal arts in today. In this recession it is a financially wise decision to obtain a career oriented education instead. Students may not able to find jobs in the field that they are training after graduate. Ungar argues that especially collage students find it harder to get good jobs with liberal arts degrees, which is not the case. Which is the second misperception is that graduates with liberal arts degrees

    Read More

  • David Mccullough Rhetorical Devices

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    To regard the importance of the bigger picture, he maintains parallel structure and utilizes the repetition of words in the body of the speech. “The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life” occurs when one seizes the day—when one finds the joys in life by realizing “you are not special”. The pauses and short sentences also adds to the conversational aspect and pace of the commencement piece. To continue, he notes how in this moment of time, every single one of them is dressed “exactly the same” and their diplomas are “exactly the same”. The unification of these prospective seniors further augments the message of settling. McCullogh further critiques the phrases that defy logic. High school students have perceived that “good is no longer good enough, where a B is the new C”. The goal into doing one’s best has been shaped into doing the capabilities of another, in which McCullogh responds metaphorically to only focus on the betterment of the self: “climb [the mountain] so you can see the world, not so the world can see you”. All of these seniors have fallen into the preconceived mindset of superiority, unifying them together but it is their personal capabilities that distinguishes one from another, successes from failures. The support and inspiration he is aiming for is clearly portrayed in proposing to the students to, “[d]ream big. Work hard. Think for yourself”. He inspires them to experience life instead of accomplish

    Read More

  • David Dewey A Model For High Schools Summary

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    If they are taught correctly, liberal arts classes have the potential to help “students cross social boundaries in their imaginations. Studying a common core of learning will help orient them to common tasks as citizens; it will challenge or bolster… their views and, in any case, help them understand why not everyone in the world (or in their classroom) agrees with them,” explains Gitlin in his article “The Liberal Arts in an Age of Info-Glut.” By exposing students to this in high school, they will be more prepared when this moment occurs in their careers. I, along with many students throughout the country, have been exposed to incorrectly-taught liberal arts classes. Students taking English, for instance, must read specific novels while assessing a theme that is already pointed out to them.

    Read More

  • William Cronon's The Goals Of A Liberal Education

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since high school and now through my second year of college I have had one goal for my future, that goal was to graduate college with a degree in criminal justice. Not being interested in math or science, I was discouraged by the fact of taking classes that had nothing to do with my career choice. Thus being said, many people that I talked too felt the same way as I did. Which constantly led me to question what the importance of a liberal education was. After reading an essay called The Liberal Arts Are Not Elitist by Martha Nussbaum and relating it to an essay by William Cronon called The Goals of a Liberal Education, my perspective changed. An education is more than just a degree in your field of study, but an overall basic knowledge in which will inspire people to be the absolute best they can be.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Commencement Speech By David Foster Wallace

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    The speech is arranged into short paragraphs, providing an example in almost every one. Everyone is familiar with commencement speeches. They are usually used to congratulate a group of people and tend to be looking towards the future. Instead of congratulating the students at Kenyon College, Wallace challenges them. The essay opens with a metaphor about two young fish that do not realize what water is, setting the tone for the rest of the speech. Wallace proceeds to describe how completely oblivious society is to the world around us, just like the fish. Wallace supports this claim through examples within the speech. His use of examples rather than facts or statistics weakens his claim. If more facts or statistics were used his claim would become more convincing. His rationalization come in the form of the short stories that illustrate the choices people make in their everyday lives. He...

    Read More

  • Preparing For A Career By Derek Bok: Article Analysis

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    It’s strange that history, English, history has nothing to do with one’s major but it’s a requirement. Bok said “ Liberal art programs seldom take adequate account of the crucial importance of students’ careers- career that will inevitably affect what kind of persons they become, how well they balance the claims of work and family and what opportunities they have to serve others besides themselves” (345). This statement concluded liberal arts major is important, without it, students wouldn't be able to be successful in school. One wouldn't know how to think critically and analyze what one is learning without learning the basic subjects. Even before college, students are required to learn nothing but the basic subjects such as history, English, and math. Liberal arts take a big role in students’ education because it teaches one how to read, write and use critical thinking in the real world such as work, college, and real life

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The New Liberal Arts

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article “The New Liberal Arts,” Sanford J. Ungar presents the argument of why liberal arts schools are still competitive and useful today. The beginning of the article immediately addresses the problem that Ungar is defending, “Hard economic times inevitably bring scrutiny of all accepted ideals and institutions, and this time around liberal-arts education has been especially hit hard.” The author provides credibility through his time of being a liberal arts presidents, applies statistics about the enrollment and job security outside of liberal college, he addresses the cost factor and how a student may find compensation, and that a liberal arts college is not preparing students for success. The article “The New Liberal Arts,” addresses

    Read More

  • Why Are Many Young Americans so Uncomfortable With Liberal Arts?

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    As mentioned throughout this analysis, Sanford J. Ungar’s main purpose of his essay, “7 Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts” is to inform Americans that liberal arts education is not an unpopular decision to make. Although The Chronicle of Higher Education published this article in 2010, it is still very relevant today. I believe Ungar has accomplished his purpose by adequately refuting each misperception in his essay. By using the three appeals of reason, emotion and ethics equally, Ungar leaves no doubt that liberal arts is an education that should not be sought after.

    Read More

  • Analysis: The New Liberal Arts

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    Liberal arts education produces analytical thinking, and professions are looking for that as an alternative to just specializing in one subject. “Who wants to hire somebody with an irrelevant major like philosophy or French,” but in reality, everyone is finding it harder to find a job in this economy, not just liberal arts majors. He then answers the question about “being a low income, or first generation college student,” and Ungar begins to state that it is ignorant to consider that just because an individual is the first generation that they cannot be given the same kind of education as someone else who is not a first generation. Some may believe that liberal arts does not take part in the mathematical and scientific side of education, but it does in the broadest parts. Sanford Ungar has the right idea that more people should major in the liberal arts, and I definitely like how he put his essays into the “seven misconceptions.”

    Read More

  • Liberal Education: Why is it important in today's workforce?

    1617 Words  | 4 Pages

    Now, let us define liberal arts or liberal education. According to Michael Lind, liberal arts should be understood in its original sense as “elite skills” (54). We all know that liberal arts include cour...

    Read More

  • Three Reasons College Still Matters By Andrew Delbanco

    821 Words  | 2 Pages

    In recent years, many have debated whether or not a college education is a necessary requirement to succeed in the field of a persons’ choice and become an outstanding person in society. On one hand, some say college is very important because one must contribute to society. The essay Three Reasons College Still Matters by Andrew Delbanco shows three main reasons that students should receive their bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, many question the point of wasting millions of dollars on four years or maybe more to fight for highly competitive jobs that one might not get. Louis Menand wrote an article based on education titled Re-Imagining Liberal Education. This article challenges the main thought many americans have after receiving a secondary education. Louis Menand better illustrates the reasons why a student should rethink receiving a post secondary education better than Andrew Delbanco’s three reasons to continue a person’s education.

    Read More

  • Summary Of David Foster Wallace's Commencement Speech

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wallace stresses the idea that all people really can think about in their day to day lives is themselves. To explain this Wallace uses the story of people in rush-hour trying to shop at the grocery store and getting aggravated when there aren’t enough registers open to check out their purchases. He uses this example to describe how people make themselves the center of the universe and how their own needs should be met before anyone else’s own. Wallace is trying to describe how higher education helps people think more clearly, and how the knowledge obtained also helps to make your mind more capable of evaluating situations and how they affect more than just one’s own

    Read More

  • The Argumentative Essay: The Value Of Liberal Arts

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Hence you see why “liberal studies” are so called; it is because they are studies worthy of a free- born gentlemen. But there is only one really liberal study – that which gives a man his liberty. It is the study of wisdom”, said Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Roman Stoic philosopher who lived during the time of Jesus Christ. Historically speaking, learning liberal arts we learn ourselves to be passionate, loyal, brave and what is more important, generous. The word “freedom” has been the fundamental component of any American Dream. Today we celebrate our nation’s independence and allowance to govern ourselves.

    Read More

  • Myth: A Liberal Arts Education Is Becoming Irrelevant By Carol T. Christ

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    In modern times, the importance of liberal arts is questioned. The article “Myth: A Liberal Arts Education is Becoming Irrelevant” by Carol T. Christ makes the argument that a liberal arts education provides a broader range of knowledge which is useful because it produces a critically thinking student. Obtaining a career is the main focus of college education. Knowing this, Christ emphasizes how a liberal arts education is useful when looking for employment. She refutes the conception that a liberal arts education is irrelevant in today’s society by identifying the useful qualities it provides the employers look for such as, “Flexibility, creativity, critical thinking, strong communication skills (particulary writing)” (Christ,

    Read More

  • Sanford J. Ungar's The New Liberal Arts

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    In ancient civilization, a liberal arts education was considered essential for free people to take place in civic life; without them people would not be willing to disregard one's traditional values, and analyze a broad variety of arts, humanities, and sciences to create new opinions and ideas. In the 21st century many Americans are doubtful that liberal arts degrees are actually worth the cost of college. In his essay “The New Liberal Arts”, Sanford J. Ungar discusses seven “misconceptions” of liberal arts degrees in modern-day America.

    Read More

More about This Is Water Speech Analysis

Open Document