Circumstances

In this section of the study guide, we will discuss the circumstances surrounding George Saunders’ commencement address.

The speech was delivered on 11th of May, 2013 at The College of Arts and Sciences’ graduation ceremony at Syracuse University. It was delivered by George Saunders, an American writer and also a professor at Syracuse University.

A commencement address is a type of speech delivered to graduating students during their graduation ceremony. In general, the commencement speech is delivered by an important figure in the community, who can be seen as a role model for the students. While the context of the speech is formal, the commencement speaker has the freedom of constructing the speech as desired, with the option of including touches of informality.

George Saunders, the commencement...