“A Stomach-Level Sadness” by David Foster Wallace

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David Foster Wallace was a famous writer; his novel Infinite Jest is listed as one of Times’ All-Time 100 Greatest Novels list. He committed suicide in 2008 after suffering from severe depression. In 2005 Wallace gave a commencement speech at a graduation ceremony at Kenyon College, a liberal arts university. In his speech, he talks about liberal arts and tells about life after graduation. He also explains that everything we do is by choice: we even choose what to think about. David Foster Wallace is being informal while addressing his audience; he relates to his audience, showing them that he has been through the same things they have and being honest about his life.

Since the beginning of his speech, David Foster Wallace indicates that the speech is going to be informal and tries to break the ice between the audience and himself by using such words as “bullshitty” and “As I’m sure you guys know by now.” Those two expressions show that he is being informal and speaking in a relaxed manner; he does not use complicated words, as he is trying to make his audience feel relaxed, and shows them that it will not be a long boring speech like most commencement speeches are.

Throughout the speech, Wallace makes sure his audience is not bored, but when he understands that it happens he says, “It’s extremely difficult to stay alert and attentive, instead of getting hypnotized by the constant monologue inside your own head (may be happening right now) […].”

He shows his audience that he understands how boring these speeches might be, but he is still able to grab their attention all along, which also indicates the importance of what he is saying in his speech. The writer goes further than only talking about liberal arts education, touching on the matters of life in general and life after graduation. In his speech, Wallace also mentions such parts of his life as pre- and post-graduation, and real-life in the future. Because of the techniques used by Wallace in his speech, his audience can relate to him and feel more at ease with him.

David Foster is very good at relating to his audience: he manages to keep them alert during the whole speech. After telling the story of the two young fish swimming and an older fish asking them how the water was, and the two young fish not knowing what water meant, David says, “But if you’re worried that I’m trying to present myself here as the wise, older fish explaining what water is to you younger fish, please don’t be.

I am not the wise old fish.” When he says that he is not the wise fish, it makes his audience feel more comfortable because he is showing that he understands them and that it is normal not to be aware of everything around us; he portrays himself as a person who is down to earth: the novels he wrote and his popularity do not make him any better than the students who are graduating. Later on in the speech, he says, “Please don’t worry that I’m getting ready to lecture you about compassion or other-directedness or all the so-called virtues.”

Again, he shows that he does not think he is any better than the students to lecture them about something they already know. Instead of lecturing them, he explains what he means and relates his stories to himself; then he shows his audience that he was in the same place they were. He also understands that his audience can get bored, and he does not blame them for it: he explains that it is normal to lose concentration, and by doing this he attracts his audience’s attention repeatedly all along the speech.

While being humorous, David Foster Wallace says, “If anybody feels like perspiring, I’d advise you to go ahead, because I’m sure going to.” He is using humor at the beginning of the speech to make people like him and to indicate that this speech will be less formal and traditional than other commencement speeches. In his speech, he also uses a sarcastic tone when talking about liberal arts education and saying that what is told to students about life after graduation is that it will be easy and joyful. He tries to relate to his audience throughout the speech by using different techniques, such as humor, sarcasm, and a relaxed attitude, and I think he has managed to do so.

David Wallace has a pessimistic attitude while talking about life after graduation; he stays honest with the students and tells them the truth that probably everyone covers up. He describes going to the supermarket in the evening after a long working day, and his expressions are very deep and depressing, “And the store is hideously lit and infused with soul-killing [sic] muzak […]”, “in a voice that is the absolute voice of death.”

He describes every thought and feeling, but none of them are happy, which explains that he sees life as it is, not necessarily with optimism. David was being interviewed by Laura Miller about one of his books, Infinite Jest where he said, “There’s something particularly sad about it, something that doesn’t have very much to do with physical circumstances, or the economy, or any of the stuff that gets talked about in the news. It’s more like a stomach-level sadness. I see it in my friends and myself in different ways. It manifests itself as a kind of lostness.

Whether it’s unique to our generation I really don’t know.” He seemed to be a deep, sensitive person, someone who was sad and did not see things on the bright side. In the same interview, he then said, “The sadness that the book is about, and that I was going through […].” It seems like he had been through a lot: even after having become a famous writer, essayist and professor, he still did not seem happy. In his commencement speech, he also said, “It is not the least bit coincidental that adults who commit suicide with firearms almost always shoot themselves in the head. They shoot the great master […].” He tells the raw truth to the audience, describing life as it is, whether it is good or bad. I think that in such a way he is saving them by warning them.

In conclusion, David Foster Wallace tried to relate to his audience throughout his speech and succeeded; he also made his audience feel comfortable around him by showing them that he is down to earth and was once in their shoes. He was not a very optimistic person, and he was honest with his audience about it. He added his point of view without forcing it on anyone.

Works Cited

David Foster Wallace, in His Own Words. More Intelligent Life. The Economist Newspaper. 2008. Web.

Miller, Laura. “The SALON Interview: David Foster Wallace.” Salon.com. Salon.com, n.d. Web.

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“A Stomach-Level Sadness” by David Foster Wallace

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