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T. McCoy 1
Tara McCoy
Rutgers- Newark
English Composition 101 a
Professor Rosetti 2
October 2023
Wallace’s Wordsmithery: The Art of Captivating Readers
Using Writing Techniques in ‘Consider the Lobster’
Writing skills and literary techniques are powerful tools for authors to captivate and
maintain a reader’s attention. These techniques are either subtly woven into the narrative or
prominently featured throughout the text. Authors employ these techniques for various reasons,
including enhancing clarity, clarifying the purpose and objectives of their writing, engaging the
reader’s interest, and encouraging critical thinking. Without the use of these techniques, the flow
of a story will quickly dissipate, making it challenging for authors to convey their ideas and for
readers to grasp them fully. However, when authors employ these skills, it opens a door for the
reader to connect with both them and the story. “Similarly, when a reader is reading a piece of
content, they want it to be seamless and understandable” (White). David Foster Wallace, author
of “Consider the Lobster”, uses an abundance of writing techniques throughout his text to engage
the reader. These techniques include the incorporation of facts, thought- provoking questions, and
shaping the narrative through the perspective of the narrator.
Citing facts into one’s writing is a successful technique, capable of both engaging
and persuading the reader. Facts have the unique ability to encourage the reader to think logically
and emotionally. Wallace utilizes this technique by presenting facts that can be historical,
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scientific, and descriptive. After describing the biggest lobster festival in Maine and what a
lobster is, he gives the reader facts and a medical background on lobsters:
“There happened to be two main criteria that most ethicists agree on for determining
whether a living creature has the capacity to suffer and so has genuine interest that it may
or may not be our moral duty to consider. One is how much of the neurological hardware
required for pain-experience the animal comes equipped with-nociceptors,
prostaglandins, neuronal opioid receptors, etc. The other criterion is whether the animal
demonstrates behavior associated with pain. And it takes a lot of intellectual gymnastics
and behaviorist hairsplitting not to see struggling, thrashing and lid clattering as just such
pain-behavior. According to marine zoologists, it usually takes lobsters between 35 and
45 seconds to die in boiling water.” (Wallace 5)
Using these descriptive facts helps the reader understand his strong opinion and why he questions
the morality of boiling lobster alive. “Since your content will draw both kinds of readers –
logical and emotional – you can see why using facts is always a smart idea. The point here is to
convince your reader to take action” (Widenhouse). This causes the reader to have an emotional
response to the essay and may even cause an action from the reader to consider not eating
lobsters themselves. Citing facts gives support to Wallace’s opinion and credibility to his claim.
As previously mentioned, a writing technique successfully employed by Wallace is the
use of questions. However, this technique goes beyond presenting straightforward questions; it
involves a sophisticated craft. Authors can use various types of questions to elicit specific
responses from their readers. Rhetorical questions, for instance, are used to pique the reader’s
interest and arouse their curiosity, while leading questions subtly guide the reader towards the
author’s intended response. Open -ended questions on the other hand, leave room for the reader
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to reflect on the question. Wallace effectively utilizes all these questions in his writing.
Regardless of the question’s form, their common purpose is to prompt the reader to engage with
the text on a deeper level, inspiring internal dialogue and forging a connection between the
reader and the author. “So then here is a question that’s all but unavoidable at the World’s Largest
Lobster Cooker, and may arise in kitchens across the U.S.: Is it all right to boil a sentient creature
alive just for our gustatory pleasure? A related set of concerns: Is the previous question irksomely
PC or sentimental? What does “all right” even mean in this context? Is it all just a matter of
individual choice?” (Wallace 3). This paragraph of questions adeptly combines rhetorical, open-
ended, and leading questions. Wallace uses this literary technique to remind the reader of the
essay’s focus. He uses imagery in his descriptive facts throughout his essay, and questions are
effective means to summarize. These questions not only contribute to the readers comprehension
but also serve to reiterate the core focus of the essay.
David Foster Wallace employs another compelling technique, skillfully using the
narrator’s point of view, to engage his readers and effectively convey his message. “Narrative
point of view is the perspective you use to tell a story” (Writing Forward). In this case, he uses a
first-person point of view. “First person can create intimacy between the reader and the
characters, granting us direct access to their emotions, psyches and inner thoughts” (Reedsy
Blog). Once intimacy is created the reader establishes a bond and creates an empathetic
connection with the author. Wallace states,
“It is, at any rate, uncomfortable for me, and for just about everyone I know who enjoys a
variety of foods and yet does not want to see herself as cruel or unfeeling. As far as I can
tell, my own main way of dealing with this conflict has been to avoid thinking about the
whole unpleasant thing. I should add that it appears to me unlikely that many readers of
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gourmet wish to think hard about it, either, or to be quired about the morality of their
eating habits in the pages of the culinary monthly” (Wallace 4).
By sharing his own experiences and opinions on the matter, he grounds the reader through a first-
person narrative. This offers a unique lens through which the reader can experience the subject
matter, through his eyes.
David Foster Wallace successfully weaves together facts, questions, and the narrator’s
point of view in his essay, “Consider the Lobster”, to grab the reader’s attention and successfully
deliver his message. After giving life to the lobster, he also brings his narrative to life through
writing techniques. His use of the narrator’s point of view ensures that the story remains
relatable, while thought-provoking questions and citing facts keeps the reader thoroughly
engaged. Through using these literary techniques, the message Wallace is trying to make
becomes clear, prompting some readers to contemplate their ethical choices. Wallace maintains
the reader’s attention by supplying the information needed to question themselves and the
morality of boiling a living creature while alive.
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Works Cited
"Point of View: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Perspectives." Reedsy Blog, 18 May 2019,
blog.reedsy.com/guide/point-of-view/. Accessed 02 Oct. 2023.
Widenhouse, Kathy. “10 Kinds of Facts That Persuade Your Reader.”
Nonprofit copywriter
,
https://www.nonprofitcopywriter.com/facts
-
that
-
persuade.html#google_vignette
.
Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.
Wallace, Foster David. “Consider The Lobster
.” Gourmet Magazine
, August 2004,
www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2004/08/consider_the_lobster
.
Accessed 30 Sep.
2023.
White, Susan. "Writing Techniques: Why It Is Important for Writers."
All Assignment Help
, 28
Jul. 2023, www.allassignmenthelp.com/blog/writing-techniques-why-its-important-tothe-
writers/
. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
"5 Ways to Use Narrative Viewpoint in Fiction Writing." Writing Forward, 29 Sept. 2011,
www.writingforward.com/news-announcements/guest-posts/5-ways-to-use-
narrativeviewpoint-in-fictionwriting#:~:text=5%20Ways%20to%20Use%20Narrative
%20Viewpoint%20in%20Fiction ,5%205.%20Create%20suspense%20by%20switching
%20viewpoints.%20. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
HONOR PLEDGE
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assistance on this assignment. TM