Problem
1. DeLillo, "In the Ruins of the Future"
• Why does DeLillo think that the perpetrators of 9/11 carried out their attacks? What does he suggest was their motivation to target the US and the World Trade Centers?
• DeLillo doesn't describe in any great detail that people's experiences within the towers-his essay uses stories of New Yorkers outside the World Trade Centers. Why do you think that is? What is the effect?
• What do you think is DeLillo's overall purpose with his essay? What does he hope to accomplish?
• Why do you think DeLillo ends with the image of the Muslim woman praying? What point do you think he's making in the conclusion of his essay?
2. Foster Wallace, "David Foster Wallace on 9/11, as Seen from the Midwest"
• How does Foster Wallace describe Bloomington?
• How would you describe the feelings or emotions that Foster Wallace's essay conveys about 9/11?
3. Summary Questions
• How does the difference in location change the way the two authors write about the events of 9/11? What differences are there in ethos, pathos, or logos?
• How do the essays written in 2001 differ from more current or present-day narratives about 9/11? How does knowing what happened in the years that followed 9/11 change the way you read these essays?