Good Old Neon
Christian Arevalo
10/07/14
Engl 109
Essay 1
Good Old Neon
David Foster Wallace’s “Good Old Neon” is about a dead man named Neal, who is trying to justify his suicide. He believes that he has been living his whole life as a fraud and thinks that he is not capable of loving anyone. I do not think that either of these two characteristics are true, instead I think he is just way too smart for his own good because he over-analyses everything. This habit of over-analyzing everything does not mix well with a self-conscious, narcissistic person like Neal. His intelligence helps him easily manipulate everyone around him, which gives him a sick sense of pleasure. This pleasure does not allow him to actually get to know anyone. As for his fraudulence, I believe he is too hard on himself because he is more manipulative than a fraud. The story starts off with Neal saying, “My whole life I’ve been a fraud. I’m not exaggerating. Pretty much all I’ve ever done all the time is try to create a certain impression of me in other people. Mostly to be liked or admired” (Wallace 141). This is something that most people can relate to. From a young age, I was told that I will not get a second chance at a first impression and that is why when I first meet someone, especially an authority figure, I am not my usual self. Its not that I am being fake, or a fraud, I just do not know the person well enough to open up the way I do around my friends. Acting differently in front of strangers is more of a courtesy. When you first meet someone, you do not know what they believe in or what issues they have going on in their lives, so it is common courtesy to not talk or joke about things that you normally would with your friends. A majority, if not all, of the population likes to be liked and making a good first impression is very important. Many people are not just happy with being liked though, they want to be the best in anything they do so that they could be admired, like Neal. Neal talks
10/07/14
Engl 109
Essay 1
Good Old Neon
David Foster Wallace’s “Good Old Neon” is about a dead man named Neal, who is trying to justify his suicide. He believes that he has been living his whole life as a fraud and thinks that he is not capable of loving anyone. I do not think that either of these two characteristics are true, instead I think he is just way too smart for his own good because he over-analyses everything. This habit of over-analyzing everything does not mix well with a self-conscious, narcissistic person like Neal. His intelligence helps him easily manipulate everyone around him, which gives him a sick sense of pleasure. This pleasure does not allow him to actually get to know anyone. As for his fraudulence, I believe he is too hard on himself because he is more manipulative than a fraud. The story starts off with Neal saying, “My whole life I’ve been a fraud. I’m not exaggerating. Pretty much all I’ve ever done all the time is try to create a certain impression of me in other people. Mostly to be liked or admired” (Wallace 141). This is something that most people can relate to. From a young age, I was told that I will not get a second chance at a first impression and that is why when I first meet someone, especially an authority figure, I am not my usual self. Its not that I am being fake, or a fraud, I just do not know the person well enough to open up the way I do around my friends. Acting differently in front of strangers is more of a courtesy. When you first meet someone, you do not know what they believe in or what issues they have going on in their lives, so it is common courtesy to not talk or joke about things that you normally would with your friends. A majority, if not all, of the population likes to be liked and making a good first impression is very important. Many people are not just happy with being liked though, they want to be the best in anything they do so that they could be admired, like Neal. Neal talks
Bibliography: Wallace, David Foster. "Good Old Neon." Oblivion Stories. London: Abacus, 2005. 141-81. Print.