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Essay / David Foster Wallace's Use of Rhetoric in This is Water
In the text "This is Water" by David Foster Wallace, although many people may seem to be the center of the universe, Wallace guides them so that they are aware of the world around them. . Wallace uses emotional and logical appeals in his main argument that people can choose to look at anything in life differently than their default setting. People should see the world in other people's shoes and in their own. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The main rhetorical tool that Wallace relies on is emotional words. The persuasive effect of emotional words is felt during Wallace's visit to a grocery store during which he speaks negatively in relation to people's default settings. As stated in paragraph 9: "Now it turns out that there aren't enough checkouts open even though it's the end of the day, so the queue at the checkouts is incredibly long, which is stupid and infuriating.” In this case, Wallace intends to illustrate how quickly a person's day can turn left when they are mentally unconscious. He also does this when he states: "And look how disgusting most of them are and how stupid, cow-like, dead-eyed, non-human they seem here in the queue at the checkouts.” This detail shows how deep and selfish a person's thoughts can be and why many people keep this part to themselves. Throughout the text, Wallace continues to demonstrate the fact that humans are never always right and therefore there will always be individuals with different perspectives. . Using logical reason, Wallace was able to show how humans can change their point of view. As it states in the text: "Look, if I choose to think this way, fine, many of us do - except that choosing this way tends to be so easy and automatic that it shouldn't necessarily be a choice. » This detail shows how much Wallace wants people to be reasonable with others instead of being united. Another thing Wallace says is, “You can consciously decide what makes sense and what doesn't.” You decide what to worship…”. Furthermore, Wallace wants people to know that they have a choice and that no matter what you do with it, they would let them take one of two paths. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Paper Essay Overall, David Foster Wallace's strength as a persuasive writer comes from his ability to use ethos and pathos to influence people's better judgment. It challenges people to think critically by opening their minds to that second choice that brings out the positive in every negative situation. Works Cited: Alsbury, T. (2016). 10 things about being a superhero that no one talks about. Relevant magazine. Batman begins. (2005). [Movie]. Warner Bros. Coates, T. (2018). Martin Luther King Jr. was more radical than we remember. The Atlantic. Harrison, C. (2019). 30 everyday heroes who changed someone's life forever. Reader summary. https://www.rd.com/list/everyday-heroes-changed-someones-life-forever/Jenkins, P. (2006). Superman returns. [Movie]. Warner Bros. Krueger, P. (2014). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. DC Comics. LeFèvre, C. (2019). 9 Ways to Be a Hero to Someone Else Today. Success Magazine..