It can be very easy to explain what one gets from a college degree. What is more difficult is to try to explain the value of the degree. In David Wallace’s speech to the graduating class of 2005 from Kenyon College, “This is Water”, he uses repetition, some descriptive imagery along with polysyndeton to suggest the meaning behind a liberal arts degree and to show what individuals can do with it. This is important because this is the backbone of the entire speech. In the speech, Wallace uses the term “default settings” to suggest the automatic reactions that people have to experiences in everyday life. 

Wallace uses repetition of the phrase “default settings” to continuously link the speech together to a common theme. Repetition of the phrase “default settings” appears numerous times in the text. The first time that Wallace uses these words is when he is describing his own natural reactions to experiences. He suggests that almost everyone deals with situations as though they were the center of the universe.   He says, “Think about it: there is no experience you have had that you are not the absolute center of” (Wallace).  Wallace expounds on this and describes that in every experience in anyone’s life, all the events happen to them, not to anyone else. It is always from the individual’s point of view. This is very important as it sets the tone for all other uses of the phrase “default settings.” Whenever it is used further on in the text, the reader can assume that these “defaults” are everyone’s perception of themselves as the center of the action. One of the more direct repetitions of this phrase comes a little later in the speech when Wallace talks about how in a frustrating situation, everything can be about “MY fatigue and MY desire to just get home” (Wallace). This once again drives home the point that Wallace is suggesting that these “defaults” are of importance through the speech. One of the last uses of the terms “default settings” is to describe how no one on earth – to him – is an atheist. Everyone believes in something, whether that be money or fame or whatnot. This is a default. He describes this as an unconscious thing, similar to the unconsciousness of everyone’s “default settings” from the previous. 

Several instances of graphic imagery appear in the text and aid in conveying to the audience the simplicity of an individual’s reactions that they are often oblivious to.  The first instance of Wallace using really detailed imagery is around a quarter of the way through his speech. He continues on to explain in great detail the average adult’s day to day life. He points out the frustrations of having to go shopping after work to a grocery store that is packed with people, after having to fight through traffic, and it takes a lot longer than it should because of the amount of people and eventually escape is possible only to find more traffic on the way home. One part sticks out “It’s the end of the day and the traffic is apt to be: very bad. So getting there takes longer than it should, and when you finally get there, the supermarket is very crowded, because of course it’s the time of the day when all the other people with jobs also try to squeeze in some grocery shopping” (Wallace). This is only one part of his description however it already gives a very negative feeling to the idea of “day to day” activities. The next time he uses the same kind of imagery, he is talking specifically about traffic. He points out all of the negative thoughts one could have about the traffic and how even the exhaust and bumper stickers from the other cars are personal problems. This way of presenting these situations gives a negative connotation to the thoughts that many of us experience every day. This emphasizes the negativity of the thoughts that Wallace defines as “defaults.” 

Wallace uses long strings of adjectives – polysyndeton -  to emphasize the reality of people’s “default settings.” These adjectives aid in the understanding of the point he is making about these “default settings.” One of the first times he uses this, he is talking about monotonous, dreary living in a day to day lifestyle. He talks about being in a grocery store and looking around at the people there, and how they impact the individual negatively. He says – in reference to the others in the store – “look at how repulsive most of them are, and how stupid and cow-like and dead eyed and no human they seem” (Wallace). This stands out in the text and many can relate to this sentiment or having felt this sentiment. The next time he uses these adjectives, his point is made clear. In this instance he is actually using a device known as asyndeton due to the lack of ‘ands’ between the adjectives. He uses these adjectives to describe what may be going on in the lady’s life who appears stupid and non-human. He says, “maybe this very lady is the lowwage clerk at the motor vehicle department, who just yesterday helped your spouse resolve a horrific, infuriating, red-tape problem through some small act of bureaucratic kindness” (Wallace).  He goes on in the text to say that maybe there are different ways of approaching things like this frustrating grocery store situation than just the negative, “default” way as before. He defines the checkout lady as fat, dead-eyed and over-made-up. This strikes the audience as familiar, but then he goes on to say that maybe the lady is not usually like this. Perhaps there are things in her life that one doesn’t know about. This is the point that Wallace is making throughout the speech, there are other ways to think about these usually negative types of situations. 

By looking at repetition, descriptive imagery along with polysyndeton and asyndeton in “This is Water”, we can better understand the value of a liberal arts education. Wallace suggests that the true value of a liberal arts education is the ability to be “well-adjusted.” It is the decision and the learning of how to alter the default settings that are so very common and often negative, as he described in his speech. By looking at the repetition of the phrase “default setting”, it is made clear to the audience that his speech is about those natural reactions that people have to experiences in their life. The descriptive imagery in the text allows the audience to relate to his message and to identify with he is trying to convey. Finally, the long descriptive adjective strings show to the audience his feeling on the thoughts of one who submits to their default thoughts – negatively. Using these pieces, one can better understand why Wallace thinks negatively of these “default settings” and why he would say that a liberal arts’ education value is in the ability to change these settings, and to learn how to be well-adjusted in thought. 
