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This is Water

In his essay This is Water,  David Foster Wallace suggests that true freedom acquired through education is the ability to be adjusted, conscious, and sympathetic. He goes on to develop this thesis by describing the dreary routines that many university graduates will soon become familiar with. He brings up a significant idea which is that during this routine of monotony we make the assumption the world is simply revolving around us as individuals. In our day to day lives we often fail to acknowledge the fact that every person we come in contact with is experiencing the world in a much different way than we are and it can be hard to comprehend and take into consideration that they have a life beyond what we see. We only come into contact with a few seconds or minutes of their life and in this minuscule amount of time we make full assumptions about their entire existence. Wallace suggests that this way of viewing the world is simply our default setting and as humans we often fall prey to the easy route it offers us. However, we have the option to deviate from this default setting and instead be truly conscious of our surroundings and therefore be more empathetic.

In his speech Wallace also brings up an interesting example of a women whom we silently throw insults at in a grocery store line but is actually someone who has helped us or may help us in the future. While Wallace notes that this scenario is improbable he also states that it is not entirely impossible, reminding us that we must be able to view the world and our surroundings as a whole instead of simply viewing the world from our narrow one-minded perspective.

Our inquiry question for this unit is "How can literature develop empathy and emotional intelligence?". The theory presented by Wallace relates to this question in a variety of ways. Focusing on one aspect of the question, This is Water brings up many ways in which we may become more empathetic in our everyday lives. Literature equips us with the skill of being able to relate and empathize with the experiences of others. However, this skill is wasted unless we are also able to take the extra step following Wallace's advise and turn off our default setting. Empathy is an essential tool in our lives and therefore it's important to develop our ability to empathize with other people who may be experiencing the world completely separate from our own experiences. In conclusion, while literature may help us develop our empathy in the end it comes down to the fact that we must make the conscious decision to be considerate of the lives and experiences of others beyond what we are able to observe.

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Munro Literature Reflection

What is the purpose and benefit of the study of literature?

In my opinion, we study literature because it has implications in our everyday life whether we're aware of it or not. Literature allows us to experience the world from a variety of viewpoints other than our own which can allow us to become more open towards the world around us. Literature can also improve our communication skills and greatly enhance our vocabulary, enabling us to write in a more sophisticated manner.

What is women’s literature and what is the value in studying it?

Women's literature is a sub-category of literature written by female authors that is focused solely on women and their experiences. Women's literature is about giving a voice to a group of people who once faced great oppression and where therefore unable to communicate their stories. This genre tends to expose deeply rooted societal issues involving women through personal stories. It's important to study this genre as it helps us understand the oppression that many women felt and still do feel in today's society.

Although she does not identify as a feminist writer, how has Munro’s work contributed to gender equality?

While Munro may not identify as a feminist writer, her work has contributed to gender equality as it often focuses on female protagonists and the struggles they face in society. In an interview, Munro discusses how she doesn't actually mind doing housework however, she disagrees with the fact that it was expected of her to stay at home and clean the house. This defiance of gender roles and unfair societal expectations often comes up in Munro's writing therefore contributing to the idea that women should not be confined to simple housework.

What do you enjoy most about the content of Munro’s work and what impact has it had on you?

While reading the short stories, I found Munro's plot style to be quite intriguing and effective. I thought it was  interesting how her plots are far from linear as this definitely made the stories more interesting to read. For example, the short story Passion begins with the character visiting a small town and commenting on how its changed. From this point in the story we go back to the beginning in order to discover how it is that this character came to be in this place. Another aspect of her style that I particularly enjoyed was that Munro didn't feel the need to make everything a happy ending. Many authors often feel like they must end a story with a happily ever after however, in Runaway we are left with the foreshadowing that Clarke would end up killing Carla. The way in which Munro embraces the true nature of the world enhances her writing and gives it some sense of realism.

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