Group B blog post

One aspect of the David Foster Wallace readings from this week was the use of sports in a coming of age story. Traditionally, this is a standard of sports literature, however we had not yet read about sports in this context. Wallace's relationship with tennis is constantly reacting to his surroundings. When Wallace moves, tennis becomes a stabilizing element in his life. On the court, he is able to maintain a constant calm state, allowing his opponents to make their own mistakes. As time passes, Wallace physically falls behind his peers. This forces his life both off and on the court to end up short of his own goals. As Foster Wallace begins to grow up, he is forced to leave tennis behind, and shift his focus towards mathematics. In this way, the reader can be forced to associate tennis with Wallace's childhood, an unsustainable dream that must be left behind.

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 14, 2018 at 10:24 PM

    I think Wallace uses sports in a similar way as many of us: to take a break from the stresses of everyday life. When playing sports, the only thing you're focused on is the game and your next move. Even in a more recreational sense of play, sports is a great way to "take a break." An argument you got in earlier in the day, homework that night, or even your next meal is none of your concern at the moment. In addition to taking a break from everyday life, you improve in sports just as you do in anything else you practice. I don't think Wallace's point about having to quit when he became worse than the rest of his peers is valid because sports is more than just improving to me. My main career is not sports so I can afford to think this way, but Wallace is not afforded that luxury; he has to play to win.

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  2. Dylan WietfeldtOctober 17, 2018 at 3:59 PM

    Do you think that this connects to the D'Orlean poem about anxiety? A huge factor that helped Wallace was that many opponents would mess up before he did. While he did not stay on top like other players as he grew older and had to give up tennis, it will always be a big part of his life, as seen by his love for Federer. Go deeper into how Wallace is able to use his surroundings to his advantage and how math helps him.

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