Literature
has the ability to develop empathy and emotional intelligence through
realistically capturing shared human emotions through interactions that may not
be shared by all readers. Situations which may seem foreign to one individual
can help increase his or her understanding and awareness of what an individual
facing those particular conditions is going through. A person who is indeed
facing the same situation as the character in the piece of literature could
greatly relate and feel a connection to the author; he or she could also learn
how to cope as a result with the knowledge that they are not alone. The theory
of ‘This is Water’ extends this inquiry. Throughout his speech, David Foster
Wallace incorporates experiences that are all too familiar with all of his listeners
and presents their thoughts verbally. After establishing this bond with his
audience he is able to shed light on another point of view to the same shared
experience to urge others to take an extra moment and go beyond their personal
thoughts and to consider the circumstances of those around us. For instance,
Wallace artistically portrays the ‘day in day out’ phenomena, specifically the
annoyance all grocery shoppers have while waiting in the long checkout line
after a tiresome 9-5 job. After creating this common ground of relatability,
Wallace then proceeds to interpret the same sequence of events from another,
arguably more empathetic and optimistic perspective which takes into account
the rare but possible sympathetic scenarios of those standing in the exact same
checkout line. Even if those scenarios did not exist, the very fact that
everyone in that grocery store is just as bored, weary, and worn-down provides
comfort to the audience. Ultimately, what Wallace refers to as ‘water’ is
simply the surrounding environment we need to be aware of, something that is so
clearly in front of our eyes but so often ignored- the recognition of other’s
lives in the context of our own. Literature can serve as this key to
remembering ‘water’ by reminding us that the world does not just revolve around
experiences that only we have, but rather the collective stories, hardships,
triumphs, rejections, successes of all humans that inhabit this world with us.
