In this passage from Consider the Lobster by David Wallace, many deep thoughts are rooted in the passage and the author himself discusses many of his actions in relation to what he says. Given this, he is not always known for his consistency – at times he will approach a section by specifying something about it, and then he seems to act in the opposite way by continuing his footnotes. But do his actions speak louder than his words in this sense or are they simply perceived differently? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay He begins this particular excerpt with a strong sentence stating: "The issues surrounding 'correctness' in contemporary American usage are both controversial and highly controversial." loaded, and that the fundamental questions they raise are ones whose answers must be literally worked out rather than simply found” (293). This refers to how actions have a certain position relative to those of words, in that sometimes, to better understand what someone is trying to communicate, it is best to experience it yourself . Some of Wallace's experiences are discussed in the footnotes, particularly those about being a university professor himself and how he must integrate information into students' correct English at start of each semester. But ultimately, what it offers students might be completely ignored until it concerns them later in life. Wallace is sort of criticizing Garner for not necessarily connecting with his audience, because Wallace is acting in a way through his passage to make more of an effort to do so. As readers ourselves, Wallace makes a strong point when he mentions that "we, ordinary citizens, tend to consult the Dictionary for authoritative advice." Rarely, however, do we wonder who exactly decides what appears in the Dictionary or what words, spellings, or pronunciations are deemed correct” (295). This is the fault of almost everyone who has used a dictionary. As a society, we depend on it when we are unclear and simply trust what is presented to us. At the same time, Wallace praises Garner for his creation, then the next he degrades him by criticizing the way the words are spelled. He attacks his actions regarding numbers in the footnotes, when Garner uses number symbols for words after "ten", when Wallace points out that he was taught that it was correct to physically spell the number up until it reaches “nineteen”. At another point, right after the quote above, Wallace includes in his footnotes that we do not question what is presented before us, and includes a personal story about how his father is still in anger at those who decided decades ago in 1984 that meringue should be spelled as is. This creates a gap from what Wallace expresses to readers, where at times they are torn between siding with Wallace himself or Garner. On the one hand, Wallace creates this personal connection or relationship with the readers themselves, for example while Garner distinguishes himself on paper and realizes his achievements with the dictionary he had published. From his footnotes, it appears that Wallace has a great appreciation for Garner and his work, but he raises the question of why..