George Saunders: Graduation Speech at Syracuse University, 2013

George Saunders: Graduation Speech at Syracuse University, 2013

“George Saunders: Gradiation Speech at Syracuse University, 2013”

Context

• The speech was delivered by George Saunders, an acclaimed American short story writer, to Syracuse University graduatingstudents in 2013.
• It was later published in the New York Times, which extended its audience beyond the original listeners.

Key Themes

• Empathy and Kindness: Saunders takes an unusual approach to the conventional graduation speech by emphasizing not career success or achievements, but the importance of human kindness.
• Personal Anecdote: He uses his personal regrets about his own failures of kindness as a young man to make his point.

Language and Style

• Informal and Direct: Saunders adopts an accessible language and style in order to engage his audience. His tone is often humorous and self-deprecating.
• Rhetorical Devices: He also uses a variety of rhetorical devices such as repetition and anaphora for enhancement of his message.

Impact and Legacy

• Despite the unconventional message, Saunders’ speech was well received and widely shared, suggesting a resonance with a contemporary audience’s values and concerns.
• It quickly went viral and was later published as a book, indicating the universal appeal of its central message.