Critical analysis on "Good People" By David Foster Wallace
Throughout life, people tend to do things by acting first rather than thinking twice. Most of the time when it comes to risking certain situations, some other “effects” happen to that event to which it may be ironic. In Good People by David Foster Wallace, the authors writing technique is irony. David Foster Wallace introduces it to the point two people come down to a decision, but their actions say a lot towards certain events that which become ironic.
First of all, In Good People, David Foster Wallace, chose to use Irony. “[Arrive] at a more nuanced understanding of Wallace’s relationship to sincerity and irony through a reading of his final work” (Elderon) There is not a lot of information about this short story, but his work is about irony and sincerity. Though, this essay is going to be talking about the irony on how David Foster Wallace uses the irony technique in a unique way. Even though there is not much about this short story, but it’ll talk about on how he uses his technique to give this short story life and meaning.
In this short story, the story begins with two character that are, Lane A. Dean. jr, and his girlfriend Sheri Fisher. Though, at the beginning of the story, they are placed by park next to the lake, though there is something that is going to affect the characters in many aspects, that is going to determine their choices, also in the ironic way. Sheri Fisher is pregnant, with that said, many things have gone through Lane’s head. At the beginning of the story, there is this tree by the lake, that ironically sets the mood on how they are feeling to which is “sad”, but as well as the setting from the picnic also shows that it is tense. “They were up on a picnic table at that park by the lake, by the edge of the lake, with part of a downed tree in the shallows half hidden by the bank.” (Wallace)
David Foster Wallace work is based on irony and realism; in this case it can be said it has both. As the title of this short story is called “Good people.” In this case Lane wants to be “good people.” Lane comes to think he starts to lose his own faith and is eager to become that (good people) and prays to God or Jesus Christ when coming to a problem that he needed guidance. “Sometimes when alone and thinking or struggling to turn a matter over to Jesus Christ in prayer, he would find himself putting his fist in his palm and turning it slightly as if still playing and pounding his glove to stay sharp and alert in center.” (Wallace)
Wallace using irony in a topic or scenery as of pregnancy, brings somethings to mind: (1) Bringing the sense of irony to which any person will be scared and would not know what to do. (2) His ironical work, “…the distinction between communicative writing and expressive writing has a specific use for composition scholars…” (Elderon) It can be referred to the to his past work that has all the expressive literary devices (irony) that he puts in play in this short story.
“One thing Lane Dean did was reassure her again that he’d go with her and be there with her.” (Wallace) In the next part of this scene, Lane, says this again, though Sheri laughs ironically, knowing well that Lane may not even be there for her. At this point, Lane is indecisive and knows well that it is not his choice to make the decision of what she wants to do in the sense of the her being pregnant, especially since Sheri, knows that he doesn’t love her. “That listen—this is her own decision and obliges him to nothing. That she knows he does not love her, not that way, has known it all this time, and that it’s all right.” (Wallace) David Foster Wallace, comes with the sense of how some feelings come to play with later effects in this case when Sheri knows that Lane does not love her, in this case, Wallace, puts this event, to which he wants to express the fact of having some sense of having that “mutual feeling”, even at the worse of moments. “…with the difference between those who seek to communicate their “true selves” with minimal adornment… and those who seek to shape their communications in specific ways for an intended audience…” (Elderon)
Wallace, has a true definition of “growing up” to which in this sense, it may be ironic, because there could be a slight chance that it could have happened like in his story “Good People.” Could be that the feeling that Lane could be the same that Wallace may have been feeling that same day… it is just a theory, but could be possible. Could it be possible that maybe he lost faith at some point in his life, like Lane?
Later in the story, Lane starts feeling “some terrible weakness or lack of values, could not tell her.” (Wallace) At this part of the story, Wallace wanted to give Lane this sense of that he had messed up, and even feeling the need to say something he does not have the will to say it. Wallace had stated that Sheri believes that Lane is/ was good, throughout his values.
David Foster Wallace, is mostly speaks about irony and realism, like it was said earlier. The aspect of writing that he uses is well developed as he uses other literary devices to which he can make his stories come to life in a certain way. It is incredible that in the “Good People”, Wallace tended to use the characters perspectives to make it more ironic and more entertaining.
“The “decorative” aspects of communication that he refers to here (loosely, an attentiveness to the rules of Standard Written English) move communication away from the expressive end of the continuum (the end closer to a baby’s cry) and toward the communicative end (the end closer to the kind of well-shaped prose that would take into account how its form would support its content and affect its listener).” (Elderon) Now, that “Good People” can be well defined as some uses of irony in certain aspects, depending on how a reader reads it.
First of all, In Good People, David Foster Wallace, chose to use Irony. “[Arrive] at a more nuanced understanding of Wallace’s relationship to sincerity and irony through a reading of his final work” (Elderon) There is not a lot of information about this short story, but his work is about irony and sincerity. Though, this essay is going to be talking about the irony on how David Foster Wallace uses the irony technique in a unique way. Even though there is not much about this short story, but it’ll talk about on how he uses his technique to give this short story life and meaning.
In this short story, the story begins with two character that are, Lane A. Dean. jr, and his girlfriend Sheri Fisher. Though, at the beginning of the story, they are placed by park next to the lake, though there is something that is going to affect the characters in many aspects, that is going to determine their choices, also in the ironic way. Sheri Fisher is pregnant, with that said, many things have gone through Lane’s head. At the beginning of the story, there is this tree by the lake, that ironically sets the mood on how they are feeling to which is “sad”, but as well as the setting from the picnic also shows that it is tense. “They were up on a picnic table at that park by the lake, by the edge of the lake, with part of a downed tree in the shallows half hidden by the bank.” (Wallace)
David Foster Wallace work is based on irony and realism; in this case it can be said it has both. As the title of this short story is called “Good people.” In this case Lane wants to be “good people.” Lane comes to think he starts to lose his own faith and is eager to become that (good people) and prays to God or Jesus Christ when coming to a problem that he needed guidance. “Sometimes when alone and thinking or struggling to turn a matter over to Jesus Christ in prayer, he would find himself putting his fist in his palm and turning it slightly as if still playing and pounding his glove to stay sharp and alert in center.” (Wallace)
Wallace using irony in a topic or scenery as of pregnancy, brings somethings to mind: (1) Bringing the sense of irony to which any person will be scared and would not know what to do. (2) His ironical work, “…the distinction between communicative writing and expressive writing has a specific use for composition scholars…” (Elderon) It can be referred to the to his past work that has all the expressive literary devices (irony) that he puts in play in this short story.
“One thing Lane Dean did was reassure her again that he’d go with her and be there with her.” (Wallace) In the next part of this scene, Lane, says this again, though Sheri laughs ironically, knowing well that Lane may not even be there for her. At this point, Lane is indecisive and knows well that it is not his choice to make the decision of what she wants to do in the sense of the her being pregnant, especially since Sheri, knows that he doesn’t love her. “That listen—this is her own decision and obliges him to nothing. That she knows he does not love her, not that way, has known it all this time, and that it’s all right.” (Wallace) David Foster Wallace, comes with the sense of how some feelings come to play with later effects in this case when Sheri knows that Lane does not love her, in this case, Wallace, puts this event, to which he wants to express the fact of having some sense of having that “mutual feeling”, even at the worse of moments. “…with the difference between those who seek to communicate their “true selves” with minimal adornment… and those who seek to shape their communications in specific ways for an intended audience…” (Elderon)
Wallace, has a true definition of “growing up” to which in this sense, it may be ironic, because there could be a slight chance that it could have happened like in his story “Good People.” Could be that the feeling that Lane could be the same that Wallace may have been feeling that same day… it is just a theory, but could be possible. Could it be possible that maybe he lost faith at some point in his life, like Lane?
Later in the story, Lane starts feeling “some terrible weakness or lack of values, could not tell her.” (Wallace) At this part of the story, Wallace wanted to give Lane this sense of that he had messed up, and even feeling the need to say something he does not have the will to say it. Wallace had stated that Sheri believes that Lane is/ was good, throughout his values.
David Foster Wallace, is mostly speaks about irony and realism, like it was said earlier. The aspect of writing that he uses is well developed as he uses other literary devices to which he can make his stories come to life in a certain way. It is incredible that in the “Good People”, Wallace tended to use the characters perspectives to make it more ironic and more entertaining.
“The “decorative” aspects of communication that he refers to here (loosely, an attentiveness to the rules of Standard Written English) move communication away from the expressive end of the continuum (the end closer to a baby’s cry) and toward the communicative end (the end closer to the kind of well-shaped prose that would take into account how its form would support its content and affect its listener).” (Elderon) Now, that “Good People” can be well defined as some uses of irony in certain aspects, depending on how a reader reads it.
Works Cited
Wallace, David Foster. "Good People." Oates, Joyce Carol. The Oxford Book of American Short Stories 2nd ed. New York: The Ontario Review, Inc, 2007. 816-822.
Elderon, Shannon. "The Shaping Of Storied Selves In David Foster Wallace's The Pale King." Critique 55.5 (2014): 508-521. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Nov. 2016
Wallace, David Foster. "Good People." Oates, Joyce Carol. The Oxford Book of American Short Stories 2nd ed. New York: The Ontario Review, Inc, 2007. 816-822.
Elderon, Shannon. "The Shaping Of Storied Selves In David Foster Wallace's The Pale King." Critique 55.5 (2014): 508-521. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Nov. 2016