Perspectives

In this part of the study guide, we will give you some points that can help you put George Saunders’ commencement address in perspectiv…

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Societal perspective

It is interesting to analyze George Saunders’ speech from a societal perspective. In his speech, Saunders often refers to a society which mainly focuses on the importance of being successful:

When young, we’re anxious – understandably – to find out if we’ve got what it takes. Can we succeed? Can we build a viable life for ourselves? But you – in particular you, of this generation – may have noticed a certain cyclical quality to ambition. You do well in high-school, in the hopes of getting into a good college, so you can do well in the good college, in the hopes of getting a good job, so you can do well in the good job so you can … (ll. 192-2…

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Other speeches

You should also consider comparing this speech to other commencement addresses. For example, you could look at Michelle Obama’s commencement address given at Bowie State University. To a greater extent than Saunders' speech, Michelle Obama’s speech is focused specifically on the university whose students she is addressing. This is partly because Bowie State University has a unique history as one of the earliest schools dedicated to educating African Americans. However, both speakers use a mixture of formality and informa…