This is Water

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.