What Water Is

          David Foster Wallace kicked off his commencement speech "This is Water" by saying
               "There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet with an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says 'Morning, boys, how's the water?' And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then one of them looks over at the other and goes 'What the hell is water?'"

      Wallace goes on to assure his listeners that the purpose of his speech is not for him to assume the role of an old fish that explains water's meaning to nearby youngsters. In fact, he makes this assertion at least three times to make sure he is not misunderstood. That's why it proves ironic that Wallace is indeed devoting his oration to defining 'water' that is the life we humans struggle though every day.

Water in this piece represents the flagrant but unnoticed aspects of life that we never see. The speaker reminds his audience that people generally choose to ignore anything that doesn't directly concern them, and that this is the "default-setting" for an average individual. Those who 'adjust' this setting are more aware and self-centered, and have the ability to embrace any aspect of life they encounter.

          Going back to the fish metaphor, it seems that the older fish is one of those rare, self-centered creatures that is at peace with the world around him. So...is the message of this story that only people old in age and experience are able to aquire this adjusting skill? Perhaps, but it is my opinion that children are more reflective of their surroundings, whereas adults typically come off as self-absorbed and distant. Therefore, it is possible we are all born with the talent to appreciate our surroundings, but we lose it as we age.