Purpose and Audience

In the speeches ,"This is Water" by David Foster Wallace, and ,"Morrison Nobel Lecture” by Toni Morrison, the purpose and audience are reflected through the tone and vocabulary that the authors uses. In “This is Water” the author’s target audience is to a group of graduating college students, so he talks about life as an adult and how we need to be “aware of our simple surroundings”. Because Wallace is addressing college graduates, his tone and vocabulary is casual, so that his audience can grab the information without thinking too much about it. Wallace uses terms like “frustrating crap” and phrases like “fat, dead-eyed, over-made-lady” to describe certain situations which would not be normally used in a formal speech. “Morrison Nobel Lecture” on the other hand had a more serious tone. The target audience is more towards serious people who are there to hear a sophisticated speech. Morrison’s speech tells a story, but instead of giving advice on life, Morrison talks about the importance of language and how important it is that we prevent it from going “dead”. Morrison’s speech is also to show the audience that it was possible for her to win the Nobel Prize. Both authors’ speeches are written to cater to their specific audience. Whether it’s to a group of college students about to head into the real world, or to a large group of people who are just there to listen to someone’s prize speech. Both authors’ speeches reflected the certain style to fit their audience.

Compare and Contrast

These speeches are alike being that they are speaking widely and universally on a mature level to large audience’s. They are also very different at the same time. For example, In "This is Water" Wallace was trying to show graduates who are about to be hit with reality what to expect out of the world. He wanted to teach them ways to make it, being out in the adult world, and also how to live happily. In "Nobel Lecture," Morrison reflects back on times of hardship, slavery, and desperate times. It is geared towards a crowd of younger adults and how we must value our ancestors’ history and hardships, and keep on spreading the love of language. Theses speeches each have different tones and attitudes.  In "Nobel Lecture," it was said many times that we must fight for our language, for its one of the few ways we can express culture, history, or even just ourselves. Language is humans mark on the world, without language we the people have nothing. In, “This is Water,” Wallace points out how you have to look past things, and let go. Your life will be happier and you will enjoy everyday more than the last. Just as Morrison was talking about in “Nobel Lecture,” it talks about young kids striving to be the best they can be, by understanding their history and why things happened the way they did. They want to carry on the legacy of language, the correct way. These speeches are alike by taking advice from your elders and listening to some pretty serious thing and carrying them on with you for the rest of your life.

Language vs. Thoughts

If these two authors (Morrison and Wallace) had a nice night out to talk to each other in the same sense they wrote these pieces in, they might talk about how their writings are similar in talking about how to use your power. Morrison would talk about and tell you there are ways you can use your language in a more powerful way, instead of abusing the language that you should embrace it and use it to the fullest of your abilities.

Wallace would talk about how your mind thinks in so many different ways but that we are in a default-setting that is set to think in a “negative mindset” sort to speak. He says specifically that, ”…Everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe, the realest, most vivid and important person in existence.” (pg. 2) He would say the way you think about things could be powerful thoughts.

If they were to exchange each others ideas to one another, Morrison would express that you need to use your thoughts to use and exploit your vocabulary and language to the fullest power of your ability. Wallace would agree saying the way you think about any given situation would effect the type of language you plan on using to describe the event. Also saying that if you think about other people, then maybe you could or would be more understanding to a negative outcome you weren’t happy with, therefore giving you a positive mind.

Coffee!

I believe that if the Narrator's sat down and discussed their pieces with one another they would agree to a certain extent because they both expressed a personal opinion and or experience. Although both are different in different ways such as time period and personal experience. they both sought out to educate. to teach a lesson better yet to show the importance of words. I strongly believe that both narrators would share stories and their common goals which may turn out to be the same. I believe that although one is based on personal struggle and the other is based  on struggles as a race both outline the importance of positivity and the effects of negativity. Both articles take a common problem and incorporate it into their own personal story. Although they might have a little conflict deciding what coffee is best. Their stories both outline some important key factors such as words, connotations, human impact and the importance of not judging without prior knowledge of that person. Both stories had a common goal of self realization. in which I believe both accomplished. So in conclusion I believe that they would both have a nice discussion on the roots of the ideas and their responses. they might even drop a flame Speech together who knows!

compare and contrast

The speeches "This is Water" and "Morrison Nobel Lecture” are very similar, but also have many differences. Both are trying to make the reader think about things that they usually don't and learn a lesson from this. However, the way each speaker goes about this is very different. Morrison uses the wisdom of an old lady and Wallace makes it very clear from the beginning that they are neither old nor wise and just wants to share what they have learned. Both speeches also use what seem to be simple stories on the outside to make the reader think about a deeper meaning on the inside. They use these seemingly insignificant stories to pull us in and make us think about things that we normally wouldn't if it was just told to us. Although theses stories have many similarities, they are also quite different. For example, in "Morrison Nobel Lecture”  just one story is told throughout the speech. In "This is Water” Wallace told one story to open and close their speech. They also told one other story in the middle of their speech to help explain the point they were trying to get across to the audience. Another example of how they differ is that in "Morrison Nobel Lecture" Morrison never really gives the audience an exact idea that they were trying to get across so it gives you the freedom to interpret the meaning in many different ways. In "This is Water" Wallace is very straight forward and clear when stating what they want their audience to get out of their speech and leaves almost no room for interpretation. 

comparing speeches

In the speeches “Morrison Noble Lecture” and “This is Water” had similarities as well as differences. A major comparison between them was that they both emphasize you have the choice to decide an outcome of something. Furthermore more in “Morrison Noble Lecture” the old lady said “I don't know whether the bird you are holding is dead or alive, but what I do know is that it is in your hands. It is in your hands” which meant that young people have the power to decide if a language is dead or not. “This is Water” explains that we can chose to use our default-settings or have different mind as we approach everyday situations. However on the other hand “This is Water” is more self-centered and deals with problems that someone might have every day, in addition it talks about how one would usually approach a situation after a long day, or how you can think differently in a situation so it is not all about yourself. The “Morrison of Noble Lecture it seem to me that you would need more than one person to decide if a language dies or not because everybody communicates with each other through the art of language.

differing purposes and audiences

While Morrison’s speech was about children trying to obtain wisdom from an elderly women, the audience she was directing it towards was that of other Nobel Prize winners and her peers. When writing her speech she was expecting her audience to interpret it at a much higher level then Wallace did with his audience and to get across a message that she herself already knew. In Morrison’s speech she discusses how if new generations let the languages of the past fall to the wayside we as a society will lose a key part of who we are, that if this language is lost society will forget where it has come from and not value all the lessons learned along the way. Wallace on the other hand intended to get a message across to his audience of graduating seniors. This can be seen in the way in which he wrote his speech, by giving a scenario that is easily relatable and thought provoking. Wallace intended for his audience to come away with the feeling that they do not have to conform to a definition their society has given them. That they may look at the world in any way they see fit, but, he does warn that not everyone may agree with how they view the world be it because of religion, social status, or how important monetary wealth is to them. Unlike Morrison, Wallace was incredibly blunt with his message and had to be to truly have his audience understand him.

Differing Audiences

With the two essays being speeches, audience has a big impact on the way they were worded and spoken. Wallace’s speech was to a class of graduating seniors. When he presented the speech, he was much more personal even though he was blunt in what he was telling his audience. If he would have presented his speech the way Morrison presented hers he would have lost his audience since it really would have not meant much to them. To connect to the audience, he connected his speech to a life story that would be important toe the graduates in years to follow their special day. Morrison’s speech however had a much more mature audience, and her speech was a little more complex. When you give a speech about language and fill it with examples from the world, younger people would not understand where the idea is formed from. Giving a Nobel commencement speech, you have a standard to uphold. Wallace was there to give a lesson to his audience, Morrison was there to prove a point in which she had reached through study. Both essays where thought provoking in their own ways, and even though they were given to different audiences, they were presenting a point in which both audiences could connect with.

Compare and Contrast

  The two speeches "This is Water" and "The Nobel Lecture" are strong pieces of literature on how we each perceive life and the world even though they had different purposes to which it was written for.

  Both speeches were similar by showing how and why it is that we think in certain ways we are used to and how we can see the world in a more positive way. The authors also explain that we must be knowledgeable in order to see that it is important to respect and understand where others come from and to know why people are the way that they are before making any negative assumptions about them. 

  Some of the differences in the speech, "Noble Lecture", is that it was mainly about spoken language and why it is important what we say because words can cause damage and lead to racism and hate like it has in the past. In the passage, "This is Water", the focus was portrayed on everyone having their own self-centered universe and that we must be aware of this so we aren't cynical thinkers and that we need to understand that you aren't the only one with problems and that everyone else in this world is put in a different situation than what you are in.

Compare and Contrast both speeches

In both speeches of “This Is Water” and “Morrison Nobel Lecture”, authors talk about one’s perspective. In “Morrison Nobel Lecture”, the author discussions the young people’s perspective toward life versus a blind old woman’s. While in “This Is Water”, the author points out you view life by your own thoughts and opinions. Both speeches are similar by making a point clear of life being viewed in one’s eyes. “This Is Water” used the grocery store as an example of getting flustered with a grumpy mother. The author pointed out that, one may keep calm because they think of the woman’s issues of why she’ll be yelling at her child while another simply becomes bothers. And in “Morrison Nobel Lecture”, the author writes about a blind woman having her own interruptions and making life her own because she can’t see what everyone else can. The dead bird to young people is a simple dead bird while to the old, blind woman, it is an example of mockery toward her language. These speeches are also different by the way they make their point out. In “Morrison Nobel Lecture”, the author makes her point of perspective out with the use of language from a person with a disability, making it their own way of life. In “This Is Water”, the author differs by using life examples to make their point clear. The author uses the grocery store and a work day frustration as their point of perspective. 

David Foster Wallace and Toni Morrison's discussion over dinner

If Toni Morrison and David Foster Wallace were to sit down and have dinner with each other the conversation would be interesting as they both see life in different ways. Toni Morrison believes language is the most important factor in life today as David Foster Wallace believes life is about simple awareness. I think Morrison and Wallace would both agree and disagree over topics. As they both imply that one is in control of their own thoughts, Wallace goes a little deeper into that topic and says you have to be aware of what is always around us in order to be in control of what you think about. For most of us live day by day as a motion, not a picture. Morrison and Wallace would both agree that when you don’t exercise a part of your brain, whether it is language or awareness, it will die. According to Wallace, if you worship other things, you will slip into your “default settings” and no longer be free of fear, anger and frustration. As Morrison believes if you aren’t open to new ideas, language will eventually die from disuse, carelessness, etc. Both believe there is meaning to life and if we don’t soon become aware of these important contributions, they will die and this worried them. The moral I pulled from both of the speeches is that if you live day by day without looking closely at what is right in front of you, you will live a scripted life instead of shaping your own journey.

Why and What is different

In creating a speech, it is directly written to appeal the audience; whoever that may be. The importance of the audience will play a significant role in the authors dialect, presentation and content of their speech. As "This is Water" was a commencement speech spoken to graduates entering the real world, it was molded by what the graduates can expect in their future. Throughout this speech, Wallace uses colloquial language to connect with the younger audience. In doing so, she can evoke emotion, imagination and engage the audience into really digesting her words instead of just listening. In comparison to "This is Water," Morrison's lecture, was immensely formal in language. Hence the difference in titling of the two speeches, one is labeled a “lecture” as the other is given a more thought-provoking, less black and white, title. This alone can alert the reader in how the two essays difference from each other. Morrison’s lecture was strictly written to receive a very respected award, therefore was written to appeal a formal audience, and to commemorate thanks. On the other hand, “This is Water,” was not written for a ridged audience, it was written for an audience who needed encouraging, nonetheless, inspiration. This essay was written to be felt by the heart, and to stay in the back of the minds of those graduating. The very difference in these two essays is the attitude the authors are gaining to receive from their audiences through their depicted language.

"This is Water" and "Morrison Nobel Lecture" Comparison

In comparing “This is Water” and “Morrison Nobel Lecture” there were many similarities and differences. Both speeches talk about being responsible for your own actions and thoughts. In the “Morrison Nobel Lecture”, Morrison is talking about how the children just asked the wise blind old woman if the bird in their hands was dead or alive and the old woman tells them that whether the bird is alive or dead it is there responsible for what has happened to it or what will happen to it. Wallace, the author of “This is Water”, says that people need to learn how to exercise control over what they think about because they are responsible for how they think. Morrison and Wallace also agree that how you think and what you say can change things in your life. Morrison mentions that when that when a language dies that it is because the people who use it. Wallace says that changing our thoughts to not think about the “petty frustrating crap”, would make life more enjoyable. Morrison and Wallace disagree when it comes to education. Morrison says that sometimes the education that is given is not education at all. Wallace says that education gives you the knowledge to pay attention and have awareness of what is going on. 

Welcome to our class blog!

This will be our class blog for the semester. You should have already received an invitation for how to join this blog as an author. You can find instructions on TRACS for setting up your account as well as instructions for how to post a blog and how to comment.

On days when a reading has been assigned, you are expected to come to class prepared to engage in a conversation with the text and your peers. To help you prepare for these conversations, I will post reading questions to TRACS under the assignments tab. You will be expected to respond to these questions with either a blog entry or a blog comment. Your assigned peer group’s schedule will dictate whether you are responsible for a full blog entry or only a blog comment. The peer group that has been assigned to lead discussion for the day will responsible for posting that week’s blog entries, while all other peer groups are responsible for responding with blog comments. Though these grades are largely for completion, additional points may be gained by more thorough and thoughtful responses, and points may be deducted for incomplete or sloppy work or for work that shows little to no engagement with the text.

Blog Entries must be a minimum of 250 words. They must be posted by midnight preceding class. Blog comments must be a minimum of 150 words, and they must be posted by class time the day the reading is due. Blog entries and comments will make up a significant portion of the Homework grade. In order to receive full credit for these assignments, blog entries and comments must be posted to the class blog by their deadline as well as printed out in hard copy form to bring to class.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at shilohbooker@txstate.edu.