A View From Mrs. Thompson's
Shelby White
Mr. Haynes
ENG 1100-033
15 September 2014
“The View from Mrs. Thompson’s”
In David Foster Wallace’s essay, “The View from Mrs. Thompson’s,” he shares his experience of September 11th, 2001 in Bloomington, Illinois. He begins by mentioning how it is odd that on the day after September 11th, everyone has some type of flag up at their homes, businesses, and even on their cars. He begins to inquire about the purpose for the flags and he gets several responses including, “to show our support towards what’s going as Americans” (130). This response is somewhat ironic, because the people of Bloomington, Illinois don’t really know what it means to truly be an American. Their innocence and lack of experience segregates them from the majority of Americans in a way that makes it seem as if they live in a world of their own. Wallace goes on to discuss how he notices that displaying a flag makes a statement, but not doing so makes an even bigger statement. Eventually, he caves under pressure and sets out to find a flag of his own, but he is unsuccessful. Instead, he utilizes construction paper and markers to make a flag. Wallace’s determination to have a flag serves as a representation of his cooperation with his community. Even though Wallace’s essay touches on September 11th, it is mostly about Bloomington, Illinois, its people, and their way of life.
Wallace describes the people of Bloomington as friendly, but reserved. Wallace says that the town is really green during the summer and that most homes have perfectly manicured yards. He seems to think that it is rather useless by saying that “to be honest, it’s a little creepy, especially in high summer, when nobody’s out and all that green just sits in the heat and seethes” (133). Wallace’s opinion about the green lawns shows how his way of thinking sets him apart from the people of Bloomington. It seems as though the majority of the people in Bloomington either see nothing wrong with the uselessness of
Mr. Haynes
ENG 1100-033
15 September 2014
“The View from Mrs. Thompson’s”
In David Foster Wallace’s essay, “The View from Mrs. Thompson’s,” he shares his experience of September 11th, 2001 in Bloomington, Illinois. He begins by mentioning how it is odd that on the day after September 11th, everyone has some type of flag up at their homes, businesses, and even on their cars. He begins to inquire about the purpose for the flags and he gets several responses including, “to show our support towards what’s going as Americans” (130). This response is somewhat ironic, because the people of Bloomington, Illinois don’t really know what it means to truly be an American. Their innocence and lack of experience segregates them from the majority of Americans in a way that makes it seem as if they live in a world of their own. Wallace goes on to discuss how he notices that displaying a flag makes a statement, but not doing so makes an even bigger statement. Eventually, he caves under pressure and sets out to find a flag of his own, but he is unsuccessful. Instead, he utilizes construction paper and markers to make a flag. Wallace’s determination to have a flag serves as a representation of his cooperation with his community. Even though Wallace’s essay touches on September 11th, it is mostly about Bloomington, Illinois, its people, and their way of life.
Wallace describes the people of Bloomington as friendly, but reserved. Wallace says that the town is really green during the summer and that most homes have perfectly manicured yards. He seems to think that it is rather useless by saying that “to be honest, it’s a little creepy, especially in high summer, when nobody’s out and all that green just sits in the heat and seethes” (133). Wallace’s opinion about the green lawns shows how his way of thinking sets him apart from the people of Bloomington. It seems as though the majority of the people in Bloomington either see nothing wrong with the uselessness of