Write a Style Memo for Wallace’s “This is Water”

Transcript: in the file
Write a Style Memo for Wallace’s “This is Water”. You are only focusing on making an argument about oneeffect from his speech.
what effect his writing choices had on his reader. To use your style memo to build a Claim/Evidence/Warrant paragraph

Example about Judge John Hodgman:
Claim:
Judge John Hodgman uses humor to create empathy in Charlotte for her boyfriend’s behavior.
Evidence:
Using Humor

“three or four calming connections to a time when we could venture out into the penless world and feel prepared and not confused and terrified all the time.”

“But you haven’t asked him, because I presume you stopped talking to each other weeks ago.”

Warrant:

For me, it’s funny to think about inanimate objects grounding us to a comforting past, but I guess I understand how humans might need rituals and habits to feel their days have structure…like putting on pants for a Zoom meeting. The italics on prepared is especially impactful because life before Covid also had chaotic moments and something as simple as a pen that you could offer a stranger, who would actually touch it without thinking twice, could also represent an act of kindness. I understand what Judge Hodgman means by not wanting to feel confused, but if the boyfriend really does “feel terrified all the time”, by all means, let him have as many pens as he needs 🙁

2. When justice is served, the boyfriend is told to stop hoarding pens. Comically the Judge allows him 4, which is funny because to a normal person 4 might still seem like a lot of pens. But as I said above, I would want him to have as many as he needs. The Judge is essentially asking his girlfriend to a compromise at 4, no more, but some days when he is feeling better, maybe fewer, 3 or 2. Heck, someday maybe even 1.

3. This quote makes me feel a bit bad for the boyfriend because we know their apartment is small, so he deserves privacy. At least the contents of his pant pockets should be his own business! It’s a light admonishment of the girlfriend’s behavior, gentle teasing, that could lead her to reflect on her behavior.