ipl-logo

Critical Analysis Of David Foster Wallace's 'Good People'

1387 Words6 Pages

Regardless of age, gender, and race, everyone encounters different problems in his or her daily life. Whether the problems are as simple as getting up in the morning or untangling the headphones, people need to find a solution to solve them. The only thing that matters is what solutions they will seek. In David Foster Wallace’s “Good People,” he narrates a story about two college students, Lane Dean, Jr. and Sheri Fisher, who face a dilemma of choosing between either abortion or keeping their baby. They are torn between these choices because they come from a religious family, in which abortion is unethical and immoral. Thus, the couple is stuck in a battle between right and wrong as well as good and evil. As the story proceeds, one will notice that Wallace uses a third person point of view to depict his character, Lane Dean, in order to let readers gain a better understanding of the character’s struggles, feelings, and thoughts. The usage of third person point of view in Wallace’s essay helps readers to learn Lane Dean’s struggles. At the beginning of the story, Wallace shows that Lane and his girlfriend, Sheri Fisher are sitting on a picnic table at a park. The couple seems anxious and worried …show more content…

By using this point of view to portray how helpless the main character, Lane Dean, feels, readers will learn that entering an early parenthood is not always a good option for those who are young and unprepared because many problems and questions will arise. In Lane’s scenario, he does not know if he wants to keep the baby at first. Yet, his problems evolve to doubts as he begins to question his goodness, his love for Sheri and his faith in God. Therefore, the important message that readers can receive from “Good People” is the standards of becoming “a good person” are unknown because everyone has distinct views on what is right or

Show More
Related

  • Redemption In Flannery O Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find

    946 Words  | 4 Pages

    Redemption is the act of being saved from acts of evil and sin. The debate of whether human nature is redeemable or not has been one to plaque religious scholars. In Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, this question continues in the interactions between the characters; the most notable being the Grandmother of a rather horrible family and the Misfit, a murderer. While on a road trip, these two characters’ paths collide and lead to a rather unfortunate end where the Grandmother and her family are killed. While many readers believe the ending creates and overall negative tone of the story, some believe that there is a hope for redemption; the story’s author O’Connor who is a devoted Catholic included.

    Read More

  • Motherhood In Nella Larsen's Passing

    1484 Words  | 6 Pages

    Thank goodness, she turned out alright. But I’ll never risk it again. Never! The strain is simply too - too hellish,” (36). Larsen uses words provoking anxiety and horror to give the reader insight into Clare’s mind when she thinks about pregnancy and motherhood.

    Read More

  • Summary Of 'Good People' By David Foster Wallace

    704 Words  | 3 Pages

    “What would even Jesus do?” (Wallace 155). “Good People” is a short story written by, David Foster Wallace about Lane and Sherri, a young religious couple facing the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy. Lane contemplates his feeling towards Sherri and his Christian beliefs. In “Good People” Lane A. Dean Jr. is the main character desperate to be a good person.

    Read More

  • The Mother Gwendolyn Brooks Analysis

    1024 Words  | 5 Pages

    When thinking of personal experiences, “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooks touches on the emotional topic of abortion. Even though this poem was published decades ago, it can still be seen very relevant to this day. Accepting abortion and the outcome can indeed be a challenging task for many, while others seem to adapt to it without much of a problem. Gwendolyn Brooks’ writing lets us take a look at the mothers view point of abortion and how a mother responds to her new situation. Throughout the poem, the speaker shows signs of grieving concern of the topic of abortion and its outcomes by presenting emotions of regret and memories, shame and guilt, and contradicting herself to almost justify what she has done.

    Read More

  • Margaret Sanger The Children's Era Speech Analysis

    520 Words  | 3 Pages

    The argument over a woman’s right to choose over the life of an unborn baby has been a prevalent issue in America for many years. As a birth control activist, Margaret Sanger is recognized for her devotion to the pro-choice side of the debate as she has worked to provide sex education and legalize birth control. As part of her pro-choice movement, Sanger delivered a speech at the Sixth International Neo-Malthusian and Birth Control Conference in March of 1925. This speech is called “The Children’s Era,” in which she explains how she wants the twentieth century to become the “century of the child.” Margaret Sanger uses pathos throughout her speech as she brings up many of the negative possibilities that unplanned parenthood can bring for both children and parents.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Ticket To The Fair By David Foster Wallace

    456 Words  | 2 Pages

    The people around us and our surroundings shouldn’t change who we are because we all have our own personalities and our own ways of doing things. David Foster Wallace, author of “Ticket to the Fair,” grew up a couple of hours from down state Springfield but moved to the east coast is writing a articles on the Illinois state fair. As he goes through the days of the fair he realizes thing are different from the East Coast, and that the people are not what he expected. The way people treat David makes him act different toward people. “Lacking a real journalist’s killer instinct, I’ve been jostled way to the back, and my view is observed by the towering hair of Ms. Illinois country fair, whose function here is unclear.”

    Read More

  • Good People And Hills Like White Elephants: A Comparative Analysis

    970 Words  | 4 Pages

    I am reminded of two sisters who found themselves in a similar situations to Jig and Sheri, with an unwanted pregnancy. The eldest of the two, in a relationship with man with the attributes of the American and the youngest with a man with the attribute of Lane Jr. The youngest decided not to have the baby because of her desire to follow her career path, as I believe Sheri did in "Good People". The Eldest chose to carry and have the baby despite the odds stacked against her, as I believe Jig did in "Hills Like White Elephants", they both were faced with a decision that would affect the remainder of their lives. The younger would wonder what it would have been like to raise and see the progression on the child she so willingly aborted and the eldest knowing that she made not only the right decision but also the best decision, to allow life to come forth because of love, which may be rocky but it is still

    Read More

  • Sing Unburied Sing Lee Analysis

    1406 Words  | 6 Pages

    Best of the Worst Parenting is never perfect. Every parents questions whether they are raising their child correctly, and no parent ever feels like they are doing the right thing. With no clear distinction between good and bad parenting, it is usually left to personal preferences and judgements to decide which parents have adequately raised their children and which have failed. When a parent so call “fails,” often it is the children with their strong will and determination to survive that collectively raise themselves. In Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing, Leonie, one of the narrators and the mother of another narrator, Jojo, is not the most caring, hands-on mother, but is loving of her children nevertheless.

    Read More

  • The Characters Of Spirituality In Good People By David Foster Wallance

    803 Words  | 4 Pages

    Not only does the story line express their internal conflicts about abortion, but also where they stand within their own faith. Dean struggles to understand his faith, while Sheri knows that within her faith she should not abort the child but love it instead (162). Throughout David Foster Wallace’s short story, “Good People” readers are able characterize Dean and his spirituality through the pace and narration of the novel. The story follows a steady pace, ensuring that the reader truly understands how Dean feels while sitting at that picnic table.

    Read More

  • David Foster Wallace Good People Analysis

    1159 Words  | 5 Pages

    By using this point of view to portray how helpless the main character, Lane Dean, feels, readers will learn entering an early parenthood is not always a good option for those who are young and unprepared ones because many problems and questions will arise. In Lane’s scenario, he does not know if he wants to keep the baby at first. Yet, his problems evolve to doubts as he begins to question his goodness, his love to Sheri and his faith in God. Therefore, the important message that readers can receive from “Good People” is: the standards of becoming “a good person” are unknown because everyone has distinct views on what is right or

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of What Is Poverty Jo Goodwin Parker

    507 Words  | 3 Pages

    This shows what she had to endure to try to keep her baby healthy. It appeals to the loving protective side of the reader. It makes them think about what the baby must be going through beacuase of their economic situation. Rhetorical questions are used to directly engage the

    Read More

  • Grace In Flannery O Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find

    1025 Words  | 5 Pages

    In her short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” Flannery O’Connor tackles the issue of grace, showing that no matter the person, everyone can attain and earn grace. The grandmother and the Misfit, though they appear to be quite different people, are both the same at the core: They are sinners in need of Christ. The Misfit and the grandmother are both capable of change and accepting God, but only the grandmother reaches this revelation before her death. Grace is one of the most important ideas in the Bible and Christianity. Grace is “the love of God shown to the unlovely; the peace of God given to the restless; the unmerited favor of God,” (Holcomb).

    Read More

  • Self Awareness In A Good Man Is Hard To Find

    1076 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, Flannery O’Connor’s goal is to teach her readers an important lesson. By presenting an exaggerated and flawed character, and through a peek into her life, she displays the consequences of many faults, but most importantly, the danger of a lack of self-awareness. By the end of the story, the main character, Grandmother, has had an epiphany, brought on by a traumatizing event. By giving them an outside view of the folly of her character, Flannery O’Connor hopes to warn her readers of following the same path that will inevitably lead to destruction in some way or another.

    Read More

  • Utilitarian View On Abortion

    1018 Words  | 5 Pages

    An ethical dilemma today in society is that of abortion, which one would define as a deliberate end to a pregnancy. Various arguments exist questioning if an abortion is morally justifiable. Some say the state should decide on the legality of an abortion, some politicians say the federal government should decide, and many believe it should be up to the women since it pertains to their body. In this paper, I will analyze what a utilitarian’s perspective on abortion would be. First, let’s get a clear understanding of utilitarianism.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Good People By David Foster Wallace

    964 Words  | 4 Pages

    As Julius Caesar once said, “No one is so brave that he is not disturbed by something unexpected.” In the short story “Good People” by David Foster Wallace, the unexpected gives us just the uncertainty our lives may bring upon us from time to time. However, this story displays a division of thoughts that one character displays. The story adds religious values and inside thoughts of one character Lane Dean. Dean, being a protagonist and his girlfriend Sheri being the minor character share a common union.

    Read More

More about Critical Analysis Of David Foster Wallace's 'Good People'

Open Document