David Foster Wallace was a renowned writer known for his witty, eye-opening literature that frequently analyzed the ways people and society live their everyday lives. He often uses a bleak tone, which shocks his readers into awareness of reality. In David Foster Wallace’s commencement address at Kenyon College, “This is Water,” he explains his view of the true purpose of a liberal arts degree. He explains the various perspectives that people can chose to have in their everyday adult life, which he says have many “dreary, annoying, seemingly meaningless routines” (xiv). However, Wallace explains that by having the ability to choose how you think, people can be able to stay truly conscious in adult life. This means that they will take the time to consider their surroundings and the reality that could be rather than simply the one that is apparent to them. Through parables and diction Wallace is able to emphasize and clearly express the wisdom he wishes to impose on the graduating students. 

Wallace initiates the speech with a parable about two fish swimming who come to find out that they don’t even know what water is. He explains that the point of this story is that “the most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see” (Wallace x). When he says this, Wallace means that we are not always entirely aware of our surroundings and we may be blissfully unaware of things that should be blatantly obvious to us. He intends for people to become more aware of the things that happen in people’s everyday lives. By using this story about the fish he starts off his speech in a light-hearted manor, which welcomes the listeners to what he has to say. The moral of his first little story is then used as his basis for the entire speech. Throughout the speech he uses various other stories to illustrate his message such as the description of an every-day adult-life trip to the grocery store. He forces the audience to become aware of the realities that may not be apparent to them. 

Next Wallace describes the mundanity of a trip to the grocery store. He explains the various feelings that are all too familiar to most readers such as frustration from “the SUV intensive traffic,” repulsion by all of the “disgustingly wasteful vehicles that are covered with the most annoying political or religious bumper stickers,” in addition to how we can chose to think about how all of this “horrible, annoying traffic filled with tons of fuel guzzling cars is going to destroy the environment for our children” (Wallace xiv). This thought- process however can become very damaging to our psyche because it furthers our feelings that we are the only things that matter; it makes us feel as though everyone else are just obstacles that inhibit us. This kind of dehumanizing leads to a lifetime of negativity that ultimately ends up hurting us. Wallace proves this by smoothly transitioning into the idea that maybe one of the people in a large SUV has been in a traumatic car accident and their therapist has essentially ordered them to drive a large vehicle so they can almost feel safe enough to drive. He makes us consider the fact that maybe the “large fuel-wasting Hummer” behind you is being driven by a man whose child needs to be taken to the hospital and it is actually you who are in his way (Wallace xii). He opens our eyes to the endless possibilities of  truths and realities that we may never be exposed to. Wallace’s use of stories evokes emotions in the audience and brings to light the shocking truth that everyone may be blind to in their day-to-day lives. 

Another device Wallace uses to illustrate his meaning is his diction. His carefully crafted sentences and word choice help to illuminate the meaning of his speech. He uses the words “reality, consciousness, perception, and willingness” throughout the speech which brings up the questions What is reality? How can I increase my consciousness? What is the right perception? and Does this all depend on my willingness to change my perspective? The words previously stated are, in my opinion, the focal points of this speech. These words are used to bring up another one of Wallace’s primary focuses, which is our “default-setting.” He emphasizes the way in which people are naturally programmed to think and feel. He brings up the idea that to you, you are “the absolute center of the universe; the realist, most vivid and important person in existence” (Wallace xii).  While this belief seems “repulsively selfish” to most people, it is technically true (Wallace xiv). We are only able to understand other people’s emotions through communication and if someone chooses not to communicate then we are blissfully unaware of the potential problems they are suffering from. “The world as you experience it is there in front of YOU or behind YOU, to the left or the right of YOU, on YOUR TV or YOUR monitor” (Wallace xii). This statement perpetuates Wallace’s meaning by repetition, which simulates the way in which our mind tends to work; constantly thinking about ourselves and how various things affect us rather than how it may affect others. He goes on to explain how if we get trapped in a “default-setting” we void ourselves of the possibility of a “…real freedom. That is being educated and understanding how to think” (Wallace xvi). Paying special attention to his use of the word “real”, we can notice his juxtaposition between a life in the “default-setting” versus a life spent in considerate thought brought on by an education. 

Throughout “This is Water,” Wallace uses many techniques to entice his audience. By using stories and parables he makes his message more easy to understand for listeners. Wallace also carefully choses his words, which is extremely influential on the overall impact of the speech. Because of the frequent and carefully placed use of words such as reality, consciousness, perception, and willingness Wallace highlights the important meaning of those words and how reminding ourselves of them can serve as a “default-setting” prevention. Wallace excellently executes his use of literary devices to serve his purpose of the speech, which is to make his audience keep reminding themselves to be aware of the surroundings and consider the less obvious realities of life. He wants us to keep remind ourselves that “This is Water” (Wallace xvii).
