Samuel Allen
Dr.Suderman
ENC 1102
5 Mar. 2016
Good People
The essay “Good People” by David Foster Wallace, tells the very intimate troubles of a young couple. The story is told by alternating between the first-person point-of-view of Lane A. Dean, Jr., and limited omniscient point-of-view who knows the thoughts and inner feelings of the couple. Both Lane and Sheri are devout Christians who have grown their relationship in the eyes of God, so they take their religion very seriously. The essay focusses on the couple’s intimate issue of Sheri being pregnant. The couple obviously was not expecting this kind of dilemma so early in their relationship. Both Sheri and Lane had decided that she should get an abortion since they were in no shape to be able to take care of a child. Sheri …show more content…
One example of imagery is “he pictured in his mind an image of himself on a train, waving mechanically to something that got smaller and smaller as the train pulled away” (Wallace 217). This could possibly symbolize Lane leaving Sheri behind.
The essay shows character growth in both Lane and Sheri. In the beginning, they were just two scared young people who were very uncertain about their future. They weren’t sure if they even loved each other enough to stay together during their difficult time. They began to grow in their thoughts and prayers throughout the story. By the end of the essay, Sheri and Lane had both grown dramatically; and they both finally understood their needs and what they wanted. They both chose to love each other and support one another while taking on a huge responsibility. They both matured greatly.
Wallace uses the background of the story in order to make the inner ramblings pop out to the reader and have more meaning. This was a very strategic move made by Wallace. The story is also interesting because there is no direct dialogue throughout the entire piece. The story consists of just thoughts and hypothetical
Dr.Suderman
ENC 1102
5 Mar. 2016
Good People
The essay “Good People” by David Foster Wallace, tells the very intimate troubles of a young couple. The story is told by alternating between the first-person point-of-view of Lane A. Dean, Jr., and limited omniscient point-of-view who knows the thoughts and inner feelings of the couple. Both Lane and Sheri are devout Christians who have grown their relationship in the eyes of God, so they take their religion very seriously. The essay focusses on the couple’s intimate issue of Sheri being pregnant. The couple obviously was not expecting this kind of dilemma so early in their relationship. Both Sheri and Lane had decided that she should get an abortion since they were in no shape to be able to take care of a child. Sheri …show more content…
One example of imagery is “he pictured in his mind an image of himself on a train, waving mechanically to something that got smaller and smaller as the train pulled away” (Wallace 217). This could possibly symbolize Lane leaving Sheri behind.
The essay shows character growth in both Lane and Sheri. In the beginning, they were just two scared young people who were very uncertain about their future. They weren’t sure if they even loved each other enough to stay together during their difficult time. They began to grow in their thoughts and prayers throughout the story. By the end of the essay, Sheri and Lane had both grown dramatically; and they both finally understood their needs and what they wanted. They both chose to love each other and support one another while taking on a huge responsibility. They both matured greatly.
Wallace uses the background of the story in order to make the inner ramblings pop out to the reader and have more meaning. This was a very strategic move made by Wallace. The story is also interesting because there is no direct dialogue throughout the entire piece. The story consists of just thoughts and hypothetical