User:Ansley1102/sandbox

Article evaluation Cultural literacy Do not notice anything that is inaccurate or distracting. The example helps with understanding. The tone is neutral, the topic isn't really something to be debated over. Sources look reliable and the links work. Talk page consists of minor edits and discussion on cultural literacy. We have not discussed cultural literacy in class.

"This is Water" article "This is Water" is an article that isn't like many others I have read. David Wallace explains how our brains are hard wired to think about our selves and how we put ourselves first in each situation we encounter. He goes onto explain how the unfulfilling way of thinking is often a cause of why adults turn to suicide. Rather than being angry at all the people around us that are "in our way" we should stop to think about how their lives may be much more difficult and we are quite possibly in their way instead. Thinking in a less self-centered way is easier said than done, but in the end will result in a much happier life before death. User:Pindham User:Marybagwell User:valbun

On the wiki page for This Is Water there is no summary for the story. Although there are themes the basic structure of the story is not really explained. Week 5 exercise: The commencement speech Wallace gave in 2005 "This is Water", did not get published until 2009 after his death. Although he was an inspiration, Wallace suffered from depression and committed suicide in 2008. Meagan Wildhood with Mad in America wrote an article on the ten year anniversary of David Wallace's death discussing his suicide, how those close to him described him, and suicide should be viewed. Wallace's sister and roomate have disclosed in interviews how he was embarrassed of his depression and how he did not talk about it even though he wrote about it. Although on the outside Wallace may have looked like a well put together man with many fans of his writing, he still did not feel fulfilled. Suicide can effect anyone and it is not up to society to decide if it is right or wrong, all that can be said is that it is tragic to lose this author and all of those suffering enough to turn to suicide.

David Foster Wallace wrote a speech for a graduation ceremony in 2005 called "This is Water". In the speech, Wallace provides imagery, symbols, and a conversational tone to bring a relatable element to the story. He uses imagery throughout the whole speech to bring the audience along in situations that most have been through and understand. Whorf's linguistic relative principle gives insight as to how language affects thought, and Wallace uses this concept in his writing and speech. This most effective use of imagery he uses is when he gives a scenaio of someone being overly aggitated about having to go to the grocery store after a long day at work and dealing with many annoying people around the store. Wallace ultimately explains that one can go through life with the "default setting" as he puts it, where one automatically thinks negatively and lives in a depressing mindset, or one can choose to think beyond their own personal needs. He states that everyone is going through their own daily challenges and one can choose to live dwelling on the minor inconveniences or let it go. A rather gruesome image that Wallace provides is how most adult suicides is from shooting themselves in the head. He says the very reason that this occurs is from living in the default setting rather than jumping outside of your own self-centered mind and reaching a new freedom that allows you to think beyond just that.