"We're not keen on the idea of the story sharing its valence with the reader. But the reader's own life "outside" the story changes the story"

In this quote, David Foster Wallace is revealing his displeasure of the principle of a story having a fixed emotional value that it shows the reader. He thinks that the reader's personal experiences and life outside of the story have the power to change the story's significance and effect. This suggests that the reader's analysis and understanding of the story is not entirely based upon the author's intentions, however likewise on their own unique viewpoint. Wallace is highlighting the dynamic and ever-changing nature of storytelling, where the reader's own life experiences can shape and change the story into something completely various.