Article Analysis: The Recognition Of Ashley Ann Olsen

Forging Far-fetched Links out of Tragedy “Italian police open murder inquiry into death of American woman” introduces readers to news of the latest appalling crime, the murder of Ashley Ann Olsen, an American artist who was killed in her Italian home. This particular presentation of a case has been complicated and confused by the drawing of bold connections between this unfortunate crime and a very well-known one from years past, the murder of Meredith Kercher. The take-away from reading this news story is beyond just knowledge of the basic information of Ashley Ann Olsen’s homicide. It resurrects the dramatic tale of Kercher’s murder and its botched aftermath and creates ties that will call upon the public’s attention to its horror once again.

Even better, it involves violent crime, the most heinous and awful deviance from the law possible. The idea of rebelling from society and its moral code in such a powerful way threatens the idea of a unified consensus and consequently draws mass attention. “Police” is actually the first word of this story, clearly identifying law enforcement as a primary definer and establishing legitimacy that protects the consensus. The article also centers on a well-known victim. Recognition of Ashley Ann Olsen or her work adds to the interest potential of the story among the audience of The Guardian Olsen’s situation as a young American woman living abroad is also a common one, which increases the tragedy of her death. Many people are or know an expatriate spending time abroad, which causes the realization that this heartbreaking situation could happen to anyone. It also puts the story into a larger context of travel, university study abroad programs, gap years, etc. that the masses can relate

Strong, harsh words identify Kercher’s case in this story. For example, it was described as “flawed, flip-flopping” and “high-profile”, as if it were a summary on the back of a thrilling detective novel, not a real-life situation. The investigation had “stunning flaws”, too. The Italian court powerfully “threw out” the convictions of Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, instead of simply dismissing them. All of these intense words express the emotional weight as well as the importance of Meredith Kercher’s murder and its consequences. On the other hand, Olsen’s case is covered in a plainer, more factual manner. Some of the writing in this work even overlooks Ashley Ann Olsen to the point of dehumanization. In the sub-heading, she is described as a corpse first and a person second: “Body of Ashley Ann Olsen was found…”. Furthermore, it states that her body was found with “marks on neck”. The omission of a pronoun in the phrase eliminates Olsen’s role as an active character in her own story. The sub-heading more closely resembles a cold and clinical official report than a story of a woman’s life and death. Emotions naturally pull more attention than facts, so Meredith Kercher’s case ends up receiving more spotlight and more significance in this