While reading David Wallace’s “This is Water,” the satirical tone immediately becomes prevalent within Wallace’s explanation of personal experiences and exemplary metaphors. Wallace describes the real meaning behind the purpose of a liberal arts education, which is to control mindless thoughts and be aware of self-centeredness; and within doing so, he enables the reader to question their personal lifestyle habits and ways in which they think. This questioning shows the reader it is necessary to acknowledge more than oneself when thinking rather than what to think. Through the use of personal anecdotes, satirical tone, and repetition Wallace conveys his message of being free from a personal setting by the idea thinking correctly. 

Due to Wallace’s use of personal anecdotes, he is able to grasp the audience; Kenyon’s 2005 graduating class, and make them question their future day to day lives by expressing the harsh realities of life. Wallace explains day to day scenarios such as a grocery store run with a tone of disgust that further strengthens the idea of how hard an everyday adult life can be. He depicts the grocery bags as creepy and flimsy which shows his disgust and expresses his views on a simple errand that turns difficult when he thought of only himself. Within these personal stories, Wallace expresses his vulnerable side which makes the audience feel as if they can relate. Wallace openly admits his wrongness when he expresses how “to have just a little critical awareness,” and think correctly (12). He begins a story by saying “Here is just one example of the total wrongness of something I tend to be automatically sure of,” being this open reflects upon Wallace as being trustworthy and relatable which establishes his credibility (12). 

Wallace’s use of harsh language in his metaphors further expresses the tone of satire. He expresses his dislike towards the people in his way and views them with disgust by saying “look at how repulsive most of them are, and how stupid and cow-like and dead-eyed,” using this harsh language keeps the audience captivated and exemplifies the tone (14). Wallace’s use of ridicule further strengthens his point of the purpose of a liberal arts education by expressing how easy it is to be stuck in our personal “default settings” (14). Wallace then reveals how as an adult, it takes effort every single day to think of others and not view yourself as the center of the universe. This idea of thinking of others before slipping comfortably into a default setting is an eye-opening perspective which reveals the irony. Irony becomes prevalent when Wallace expresses his new found perspective on a liberal arts education, and at the same time, the audience begins to question how they think not what they think which leads to contemplation. The audience’s contemplation reflects Wallace’s once confusion on what the true meaning of a liberal arts education was. 

Wallace repetitively speaks of water and makes the audience question “what the hell is water?” (5) He references water throughout the anecdotes and examples which eventually leads to the audience finally understanding what water truly is. The metaphor for water Wallace uses explains that water is ever day life, the fight to be alive and conscious and think of others before yourself. Wallace also repetitively uses keywords such as conscious, unconscious, and daily which all reflect his key points of being truly alive in day to day activities. The repetition used continues to focus the audience around the main idea of the true meaning of a liberal arts education. 

Throughout this prose, Wallace supports his argument of learning how to think by having his personal anecdotes connect with the audience and allow them to view Wallace as trust worthy and credible. Wallace admits, “it is unimaginably hard to do this, to stay conscious and alive” which notes his realization of how hard everyday life can be (17). From the use of a satirical tone, never ending metaphors, and repetition Wallace makes the audience realize what water truly is. 
