ODY died peacefully last year... He was 14 and a half. Truth be told, Ody didn’t just die. I killed him. I paid a vet to come to my house and inject a chemical solution into a vein in Ody’s back leg... Ody had been in serious decline for six months. Partial paralysis of his laryngeal muscles made it hard for him to breathe, and he would begin to pant at the slightest exertion. His once deep tenor bark had transformed into a raspy Darth Vader croak... His muscles atrophied, and his walk was crab-like and unsteady.
Pierce describes the handicaps of her dog by retelling Ody's actions during his decline. "Raspy Darth Vader croak," "pant at the slightest exertion," "deep tenor bark": these phrases show how Ody sounded during his last days. Other phrases "crab-like" or "unsteady," help you imagine how Ody struggled to walk. This use of imagery helps the reader really envision Ody and sympathize with Pierce, which helps Pierce defend other treatments for pain other than euthanasia.
Pierce's word choice is important in this article as well. Later, Piece describes pets as "companions," thus invoking relatable feelings in the reader. Piece also describes her decision to put Ody to sleep as an "imperfect judgment," letting readers know that it is never is easy for anyone to make a choice like this.
This article has a more relaxed feel, helping readers connect with the ideas Pierce is trying to convey. The stress of this article is to let readers know that there are other ways to ease the pain in their pets other than euthanasia, and Pierce's diction helps the audience feel like they are not alone.
The details in this article are quite specific when it comes to describing Ody. All of Ody's ailments are depicted vividly because Pierce wanted her readers to understand the difficulty of the situation. Afterwards, Pierce provides alternatives to this tragic scenario. By adding those details about Ody, it would persuade the reader from giving their own dog euthanasia as a cure for their pain to using one of the other methods, because Pierce obviously suffered from that experience.
This article has a more relaxed feel, helping readers connect with the ideas Pierce is trying to convey. The stress of this article is to let readers know that there are other ways to ease the pain in their pets other than euthanasia, and Pierce's diction helps the audience feel like they are not alone.
The details in this article are quite specific when it comes to describing Ody. All of Ody's ailments are depicted vividly because Pierce wanted her readers to understand the difficulty of the situation. Afterwards, Pierce provides alternatives to this tragic scenario. By adding those details about Ody, it would persuade the reader from giving their own dog euthanasia as a cure for their pain to using one of the other methods, because Pierce obviously suffered from that experience.
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ReplyDeleteI agree that diction is a very important part of this article. Having a cat, I know how hard it would be to let her go, but I agree with Pierce in that there is a time for everything to have to go. The words that you described in your first paragraph make me really feel the pain of the dog, and see why euthanization was needed. I also agree with your point that a relaxed tone would make the article feel more relatable to readers, and that it plays a major role in trying to make her point. Do you think without the diction it would have made an effective article at all, or would it just have been a pointless article?
ReplyDeleteI think it was a good choice to focus on the imagery and diction in the article. This editorial is different from most other editorials because it is trying to convince the author to make an emotional decision rather than a logical one. Supposedly, the way to make an appeal to emotions is with vivid imagery and language that provokes feeling, and I think both of those are demonstrated clearly in only the one paragraph you quoted here. The specific story about Ody also gives the piece an inviting feel because it allows readers to relate to the story more. With Ody as a specific character, the reader becomes involved and briefly attached to him, which makes the emotional message, and therefore the authors point, much stronger.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Greg about focusing on the imagery and diction with this article. Telling how it was hard for Ody to breathe and about his "decline" and using the words you described in your analysis shows that, yes, in some cases it is okay to euthanize. It was for the best. She didn't want to see her beloved companion suffer any longer. She did it for him, out of love for her pet. Good job.
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