Close-mindedness will lead a person down a path of self-destruction. In a piece of literature named, “This is Water,” by David Foster Wallace, readers are taken on a journey of why the thought of suicide may appear in some people’s minds. David Wallace does this by repeating words that relate to “death,” for example, dying, and suicide. Along with using repetition, David Foster Wallace uses imagery to depict the struggles that occur in adult lives that ultimately lead to suicidal thoughts. An example of this imagery the tough days in the grocery store and people cutting other people off in traffic being discussed in his work. Using these literary devices give the readers the surreal experience of the negative thoughts that lead people on the path to self-destruction… Literally. 

David Foster Wallace presents the break down of how people naturally think through the cliché used in his commencement speech. “ Liberal arts education is not so much about filling you up with knowledge as it is about quote teaching you how to think.” (XI) People need to be taught how to think because all people have a natural default setting that is self-centered, selfish, and close-minded. Since people are normally in their natural default setting, it makes it difficult for them to think about others before themselves. The reason for this is because only emotions that can be felt by individual people are their own. “Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what to think.” (XIII) If one does not learn how to think they may get confined in their own thoughts and feelings, which could ultimately lead them in the direction of suicidal thoughts. 

Being confined in one’s own mind could have a negative affect on that person’s life. David Foster Wallace introduces readers to the mindset of suicidal people by repeating words that give off the connotation of  “death.” David Foster Wallace states that, “Adults who commit suicide with firearms almost always shoot themselves in the head. They are dead long before they pull the trigger.” (XII) What David Foster Wallace was stating in this quote is that, people who know that they want to commit suicide already have the thought in their head, and the only thing that’s left for them to do is to act out on this plan. The real question is, how do these people get into this state of mind?  Well it all comes from those first thoughts or the “Absolute voice of Death” (XIV) these thoughts are the ones that people contemplate within their own head through the natural default setting. People who are close-minded and focus only on their own thoughts and emotions choose to have unconscious (selfish, self-centered) thoughts rather than having conscious thoughts (which pertain to the understanding of others thoughts). Not thinking about other people’s feelings is a main concern when the violent act of suicide occurs. The people who commit suicide don’t think about how their decisions can affect the people they love or just others in general so they make the “unconscious” decision to kill themselves.

Along with using repetition to portray the depressing, selfish mindset of people who commit suicide, David Foster Wallace uses imagery in his writing to construct how this mindset originally begins. An example of this imagery is,“ The store is hideously lit and infused with soul-killing muzak or corporate pop and is pretty much the last place you want to be but you cant just get in and quickly out.”  (XIII) In this scenario David Foster Wallace begins to explain how daily routines such as attending a grocery store can be perceived in a negative light through the eyes of a person with suicidal intent. David Foster Wallace elaborates on how the world is perceived by people who want to commit suicide by providing another example of a daily routine being seen negatively. “ I can dwell on the fact that the patriotic or religious bumper sticker always seem to be on the biggest, most disgustingly selfish vehicles, driven by the ugliest, most inconsiderate and aggressive drivers.” (XIV) In this example David Foster Wallace uses words such as disgusting, selfish and ugly to give off the pessimistic vibe, which accurately describes how suicidal people think. Overall what David Foster Wallace was trying to convey through his use of imagery was that suicide is a negative act enacted by people who have negative thoughts that can be expressed through their negative views on the outside world.

The act of suicide originates from close-minded people with selfish thoughts, and negative views on the world who want a way to free themselves from the confinement of their own minds. David Foster Wallace gives a thorough description of how this procedure goes in the mind of a suicidal person by using repetition, and imagery in his piece of literature, “This is Water.” David Foster Wallace opens his reader’s eyes to the struggles that happen within a suicidal person. These struggles are ones that occur in everyone’s lives, but only the ones who know how to think are the ones who are able to overcome these struggles.
