Compare and Contrast

In some ways Toni Morrison and David Foster Wallace convey their speech in a style that is similar, but also have their own unique way of expressing their thoughts and emotions towards a certain subject. For example, because Morrison is giving a speech after receiving her Nobel Peace Prize, her speech is more centered towards the community involved with the Nobel Peace Prize and anybody else interested in what Morrison had to say. On the other hand, Wallace’s speech is aimed more towards the college students who are graduating and are going through the commencement process.

                Because Wallace’s speech is intended for college students, he tends to relate more to them by referring to events that most college kids endure, like when he points out the feeling of being the center of the world and everything revolves around you (I, myself, have had that feeling once or twice). He then goes on to explain what life would be after college and defines the real meaning of “day in, day out” in a way that the college students will understand given the fact that they have not experienced “real life” yet. Wallace uses real life experiences relating to what life would be like after college and how those inconveniences of life are not always what they seem. Contrary to how Wallace approaches his audience, Morrison has a more calming vibe, but in a way where she can get her message across about how different styles of language can affect a person negatively and obscure their path to greatness. In her speech Morrison uses a story that she had heard before about a wise old lady who was blind, instead of a real life experience like Wallace.

                Morrison and Wallace are similar in the way they both find ways to engage their audience at the beginning. For example, Morrison uses the Story about the wise blind woman being the victim of ridicule by a couple of youngsters, and Wallace uses the small story about the two fishes not knowing what water is. Both speakers also talk about how each person’s perspective differs from one another and how one might think something about somebody but in reality it is the complete opposite of what they are thinking.