 “This is Water” by David Foster Wallace is a 2005 commencement speech given to the graduating class of Kenyon College. In the speech Wallace explains the difference between the practical liberal arts thought process and the way of thinking needed to survive adulthood. Furthermore, Wallace explains that a liberal arts education does not allow us to stay conscious throughout life. We must create personal freedom by flowing through water with “attention, awareness, and discipline” (8).  To analyze his ideas Foster reiterates the term “water”. Foster explains that water is vital for survival, water is also the flow of society that we must create freedom within. The term water is used throughout his speech, Wallace creates several meanings out of water, each of them contribute to his argument.

The first usage of “water” comes in the first paragraph. Wallace portrays a situation of two swimming fish, the first fish nods to the following fish and asks “how’s the water?” (1), the puzzled fish responds “what the hell is water?” (1).  Evidently, water provides oxygen, nutrients and a habitat to fish, making it essential for survival. At this moment, the reader should question the text, a fish should always know what water is, why would a fish not know of the only thing keep it alive? Clearly, then the fish must be inured to water, while water is his main tool of survival, the fish is completely oblivious. This interaction paints the picture of “society’s banal platitude” (2), society is completely unware of the precious things keeping us alive. Further along in the reading, while explaining how to deviate from our default setting of banal platitude Wallace states “That is real freedom. The alternative is unconsciousness” (8). Just like the fish who were completely oblivious to their primary source of life, Wallace’s first usage of the word water chronicles how escaping your default setting will enable the reader to stay conscious “day in and day out”, and discover and appreciate the things keeping it alive. 

Further down the passage, Wallace states “I am the absolute center of the universe… I am the most important person in existence” (2), Wallace is describing our “default-setting”. Our default setting is “hard wired at birth”, and those who break free from the default are considered well-adjusted. Also, when Wallace speaks on adjustment from the default setting he mentions personal freedom. As Wallace describes it, personal freedom is “becoming lords of our own tiny little kingdom” (6). All in all, to become adjusted you must flow through society with freedom. Wallace’s comparison between our default-setting and freedom contributes to the overall theme that we must stay conscious to appreciate life, without changing our default setting we can never escape banal platitude and will always be the following fish. On the other hand, freedom is the power to cope with whatever comes in your way, having “attention, awareness, and discipline” (8). Without freedom we could never appreciate society and change our default setting. Contrasting from the first usage, water is now used as a process to become well-adjusted within society. By using flow, Wallace is describing the process of changing your default setting and creating freedom. Flowing through society allows us to “make it to 40 or 50” without wanting to shoot yourself in the head” (11).

Later in the reading Wallace gives his portrayal of society, he explains the situation of an average work day, you get up at 9 work hard for 9 or 10 hours and then back in to society. Once you enter back into society everything goes wrong. Wallace lists several examples such as an “extremely crowded supermarket” (4), “unfriendly cashiers” (4), “ADHD kids ” (4), and “heavy traffic on the way home”(4) As Wallace explains his autonomous society, he mentions the word water, in this instance water is being described as society as a whole. Society’s version of water encompasses the autonomous society Wallace wants us to break free from. Figuratively, by flowing through water, Wallace creates the society the swim fish in, he sates water is vital for survival and something we must become free within.   Contrasting from the other usages of water, it is no longer essentials for life. In this context, Wallace wants to create a figurative use for water, he no longer explains the practical use for water, instead he explains that water is society’s routine and is the basis for everything essential for survival, this is the beauty of repetition.

Near the end of the reading, Wallace states that we as readers must keep reminding ourselves that “this is water, this is water”. Next, in context Wallace speaks about how it is incredibly hard to remain conscious “day in and day out” (11), Wallace is talking about how society can be boring, repetitive and sometimes depressing. By reminding ourselves that “it is only water” we can calm ourselves down, stay conscious and create more freedom within our lives. In this meaning of water, Wallace again uses the word figuratively but instead of describing society as water, water is now used to describe a hybrid of performing your job to survive and creating freedom within your life. By explaining that “this is water, “this is water” Wallace not only ties all usage of the word water together, but creates a whole separate meaning essential to ending the story. In this context, the question of water is being answered. By asking the question of water in the first paragraph, Wallace engages the reader, which keeps the reader interested and attentive. Throughout the reading Wallace describes how to create freedom, break free from your default-self and think outside of the practical way. By saying “this is water, this is water” Wallace has answered the question of water. 

David Foster Wallace’s 2005 commencement speech to the graduating class of Kenyon College informed students about the reality of post grad life. Wallace encouraged students to step away from the banal platitude of society and respect the things we take advantage of daily. Furthermore, persuading students to stay conscious and not falling to autonomy while creating personal freedom through “attention, awareness and discipline”. Lastly, by breaking away from your default-self. To accomplish this goal, Foster Wallace repeats the word “water” Wallace uses the word in three different contexts. In the first context, he describes water as essential for survival, but something no one recognizes, tying into the ability to stay conscious throughout life. Next, water is portrayed as the flow of society, water in this context is the constant hustle and bustle, the continuous routine that you have to find freedom within. In the last usage of the word water, Wallace answers the question prompted at the beginning of the story, he also ties in every usage of the word to describe that it is only your choice to break free from the restraints of society.  In this reading the use of repetition was extremely meaningful to portray the importance of the theme. Repetition enabled Wallace to create meaningfulness within the text without jeopardizing the context of the word. Repetition is a very commonly used figurative device, but is extremely effective.  