David Foster Wallace's commencement address that he gave to Kenyon College graduates was actually very entertaining, I thought it was going to be like any other commencement address where everything is all dull and boring. In fact, Foster even addresses this reality that most commencement speeches tend to be cliché and boring.
In his address Foster uses several small stories and parables to explain his thoughts. For example, he tells the story about the Christian and the atheist in Alaska, explaining how things have different meanings depending on from what perspective it is looked at.
He explains to the graduating class about how what they have just learned is not something that just fills knowledge, that it is something that they will use and incorporate in their daily lives. He talks about the advantage 0f having this unique knowledge that people seem to take for granted or forget about.
One of the greatest parts of this address was the "fish" story, where he starts the address by explaining that this is not the typical older fish teaches young fish story, tying it all in at the end.
This address truly makes one think differently about not only liberal education but about life in general.
In his address Foster uses several small stories and parables to explain his thoughts. For example, he tells the story about the Christian and the atheist in Alaska, explaining how things have different meanings depending on from what perspective it is looked at.
He explains to the graduating class about how what they have just learned is not something that just fills knowledge, that it is something that they will use and incorporate in their daily lives. He talks about the advantage 0f having this unique knowledge that people seem to take for granted or forget about.
One of the greatest parts of this address was the "fish" story, where he starts the address by explaining that this is not the typical older fish teaches young fish story, tying it all in at the end.
This address truly makes one think differently about not only liberal education but about life in general.
"something that just fills knowledge" --sounds like there's some possible synthesis connections already going on here.
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