An Analysis of David Foster Wallace's Essay

UWP 101 – READING RESPONSE 1
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UWP 101 – READING RESPONSE 1
One thing that David Foster Wallace does in his essay “Tense Present: Democracy, English, and the Wars over Usage” that I have been told at some point in my writing career not to do is use slang in academic writing. I have been counseled that academic writing should have a seriousness and dignity that is typically undermined by the usage of slang. Writing should be a formal endeavor and introducing slang makes the presented ideas lose gravity. Even though slang is largely considered unprofessional, Wallace uses such words as ass, pretty much, bullshit, SNOOT, dittohead, among others to create a casual environment with his readers. I have constantly been advised against using such words because they demonstrate a lack of effort on the part of the writer. They may also not be comprehended in the manner I intend them to be because slang words usually mean dissimilar things to different people. Slang words are generally exaggerated, unsophisticated, subjective, or vague and should only be used in spoken language and in informal writing but not in academic writing.
I believe that the use of slang in the essay is intended to build rapport with readers and prevent the work from appearing condescending. Although Wallace is writing on a serious subject, he does not want to appear as bigoted in his views of Standard Written English u...