
David Foster Wallace delivered a commencement address to Kenyon College’s graduating class of 2005 regarding how influential their liberal arts degree will be in their lives, not only for the work force but for their everyday lives. The goal of receiving a liberal arts degree is to be taught how to think, which is “learning how to exercise…control of how… and what…to think”.  According to this view, it is being “conscious and aware enough to choose what…to pay attention to and how to construct meaning from experience[s]” (Wallace).  The information and advice Wallace provided the graduates with was useful and relevant in their lives as well as in society. Four short years earlier on September 11, 2001, America was attacked and threatened by a radical Islamic terrorist group known by Al-Qaeda. Following the devastating terrorist attack on 9/11, the American view of Islam was mainly focused on radical Islam, rather than the true principles and ideas of Islam. Though David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech, This Is Water, was given four years later, it is directly influence by 9/11, as his speech focuses on how and why a liberal arts education should teach/ inspire people about the acceptance of others. 

On the morning of September 11, 2001, a radical Islamic terrorist group known as Al-Qaeda, targeted symbolic locations in the United States such as the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and the U.S Capitol building, with horrific attacks of terrorism. Nineteen militant members under authority of Osama Bin Laden hijacked four passenger aircrafts, carrying a total of three hundred and eighty-one civilians, from three east coast airports. The first attack was on the World Trade Center, targeted for its symbolism of “America’s economic power and prosperity” (National September 11).  Two of the hijacked planes flew into the World Trade Center, one in the South Tower and one in the North Tower. The passengers and terrorists on board died on impact while hundreds of individuals were trapped in the towers. New York first responders rushed into the burning towers to rescue the remaining survivors, yet the steel structures slowly lost support the world trade center collapsed, killing everyone who remained inside. This first attack in New York City took the lives of “2,753 [people including the] 158 plane passengers, 343 firefighters, 71 police officers,” (CNN.com). The second attack occurred in Washington, DC at the Pentagon, targeted for its symbolism of “American military power” (National September 11). The third plane crashed into the southwest side of the Pentagon, immediately caused a fire and killed the hundred and eighty-four passengers on board.  The fourth plane was headed toward the Capitol building yet never made it to its destination. After hearing the news of the prior attacks, the forty passengers on board overpowered the terrorists and purposely crashed the plane in a field in Pennsylvania, sacrificing themselves. These attacks of terror brought upon Al-Qaeda were filled with death and destruction, killing nearly three thousand people. The events that occurred on September 11, 2001, marked the day the “deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil” occurred and after that day, America was never the same. After 9/11, many government policies and positions were changed as all as many Americans views on the Islamic religion. Islam is not an extremist religion; it is a religion of love. Yet many Americans associated and blamed Muslims for the terrorist attacks rather than the radical terrorist who should be blamed. In Wallace’s speech, he preached how to accept others and to be open minded, something most Americans could benefit from hearing in a post 9/11 world.

In Wallace’s speech, he incorporates a story regarding the different religious opinions of two men, a man of religion and man of atheism. In discussion of the controversial issue of the existence of God, the two men were brought upon the topic of prayer. The atheist confessed to experimenting with the concept of prayer while stranded in a blizzard. The man of god argued that the atheist was still living, so his prayer must have been answered in which he didn’t not understand why the man did not believe in God. Though his prayer was answered, the atheist argued it was the traveling Eskimos that rescued him, not God. By including this story, Wallace demonstrated that though people may have had the same experience, the meaning of it varies depending on the individual, their “belief template…and…the different ways [people create] meaning from [each] experience” (Wallace). From a liberal arts perspective, there should be open discussions regarding where “individual templates and beliefs come from,” so individuals may understand why they believe the things they do. Wallace claims that “tolerance and diversity of beliefs” (Wallace) are standards that should be held very highly by others, even if individual may not agree. Individuals who do not hold these standards highly contain arrogance. They are completely certain in their own beliefs and interpretations, that in result, all views that are not personally agreed with are disregarded and zero effort is put into attempting to understand. These are all direct representations of what most Americans were acting like towards Muslims and the Islamic religion. Islam was not as well understood or as practiced religion in comparison to Christianity or Judaism in The United States prior to 9/11. As a result, many Americans were unaware of the basic principles and beliefs of Islam. Many Americans were arrogant and made no effort to understand the religion, therefore they were uninformed and blindly believed what the media was telling them which is that all Muslims are responsible for the September 11th terrorist attacks. 

In recent discussions, Americans have been demonstrating how poorly informed they are regarding the Islamic religion. In order for Americans to understand the difference between the radical Islamic terrorist group, Al-Qaeda, and the peacefully practicing Muslims in the world, they must learn the basic principles and beliefs of Islam. Islam is known as the “religion of love” and as “a religion that stimulates peace.” Muslims, those who practice Islam, are very understanding and tolerate other faiths. Muslims do not believe in any types of “violence” or “aggression against anyone regardless of their faith or race” (Islamic Bulletin). Therefore, Islam is not a faith filled of hate it is filled with love and acceptance; those are the qualities that Wallace would approve of worshiping. The public was quick to stereotype Muslims because they weren’t properly informed of the issues. After 9/11, some Americans felt the urge to learn more about Islam and the similarities to their own religion. In the months following the attack, Universities around the country added classes that studied Islam onto their class registry. In regards of the similarities of Christian and Islamic faith, they are much more alike than different. Both faiths believe there is only one God or Allah. Muslims believed in Messengers of God, these include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad. All men listed excluding the Muslim prophet, Muhammad, are found in the Christian Bible. In addition to all the other similarities, both religions are descendants of Adam.  These listed above are all examples of things one might learn in an Islamic studies course. Though filling yourself up with knowledge is important, being aware of what’s going on around you is even more essential. As Wallace said, “education has almost nothing to do with knowledge, and everything to do with simple awareness; awareness of what is so real and essential.” 

Wallace decided to address the graduating class of 2005 at Kenyon College because he felt led to. He believed he had valuable information and advice that deserved to be shared to the newest members of society. In his opening line, he paints a picture with a story. There are two young fish swimming along in the water and they pass an older fish. The older fish asks them, “How’s the water?” The two young fish keep on swimming until one of them asks, “What the hell is water?” (Wallace). In other words, the most obvious and important realities are often the hardest to see and talk about. An example of this is American’s perspective about Muslims after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in both the short months following the attack and present, fifteen years later. 

After the devastating terrorist attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001, many Americans associated the religion of Islam with radical Islamic terrorist organizations and beliefs. Islam is a religion filled with love, rather than hate. David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech to the Kenyon College graduating class of 2005, was directly influenced by 9/11 and encouraged the audience to accept others and their beliefs, though they might be different than you. 
