Breanna Blanar Mrs. Curry-Minuni Advanced Placement English and Composition 23 February 2023 Rhetorical Analysis Rough Draft If you learned that your family was in debt yet again, would you help them? In 1847, Eliza Stacey, a mother who is expecting a child, is writing to her father-in-law, Edward Stacey, to ask for his help a second time. The Stacey family, living in Canada, has unexpectedly entered debt yet again. Eliza Stacey is anticipating a child, her husband George is arrested, and the cold weather is upon her family. In her letter, Eliza Stacey employs rhetorical devices such as emotional appeals, rhetorical questions, and word choice to convince her father-in-law to help her family in this dire situation. To begin, Eliza Stacey extensively applies emotional appeals in her letter to her father-in-law. She writes, “You can imagine my distress and tears, and poor George was distraught at leaving me suddenly with everything to do, and my baby due in about two weeks’ time.” In this excerpt, she employs the words: …show more content…
She states, “The fellow hired our horse about four years ago, on which he rode to Montreal so hard, and in such terrible weather, that he killed him.” When Eliza Stacey employs the words “so” and “such,” they amplify the meaning of words following them. In doing this, it allows the reader to fully understand the context and severity of her words; it draws a picture in the reader's mind. To continue, Eliza Stacey concludes with, “I remain, your deeply afflicted daughter.” Writing the word, “daughter,” serves as a reminder to Edward Stacey that they are close family, and can make him feel obligated to help her. The phrase: “deeply afflicted” continues to serve a reminder that Eliza Stacey’s family is struggling. Utilizing this phrase as a closing remark ensures that the reader will remember that the Stacey family needs help in this desperate