Rhetorical Analysis Of Notes On The Flesh By Shahd Alshammari

Danah AL-Omran

English 100- section 1

Ms. Heba Beidas

2 August 2023

A Rhetorical Analysis Essay to the “Prologue” of Notes on the Flesh

In her prologue to Notes on the Flesh, Shahd Alshammari narrates short stories about Kuwaiti women’s cases. Firstly, Alshammari states that there are women who love, women who get married for society, and women who still love their first love. Furthermore, not only do women tell stories men even tell theirs. Additionally, Alshammari will reveal these bad, hidden experiences. Moreover, Alshammari also mentions that Love appears as a key throughout, as it interacts with identity, society, and religion. Then, she talks about herself and tells us that she has some moments of pain; both physically and mentally.

“Set in Kuwait” (Alshammari 3). Firstly, the writer shared the location to convey that these real-life stories happened in a specific place. The word “Kuwait” is proof that it is true. Also, she has given another quote that leads to logos, which is “Audre Lorde Labels” (Alshammari 4). The author shows the knowledge and background of other writers. Therefore, Alshammari was clever when she used labels as an example because she is a black warrior mother who surrendered her life and her gift to face and address the injustices of racism. To conclude, that persuades us since she does not only use her words but also other writers’

She says, “Women who love, women who are too weak to love, women who marry for society, women who never forget their first love, women who are afraid of men” (3). She evokes sympathetic emotions in Kuwaiti women. Furthermore, you can see that the author repeats the word woman after each phrase, this shows a sign of confirmation and clarification. In each phrase the word women have a different and strong meaning. Correspondingly, all these characters share one characteristic which is suffering and pain. Alshammari mentioned the word women more than once, which is to make women sympathize with them. Moreover, did not stop revealing and expressing what she feels and desires by saying “I am the real character and the imagined. I am the unreliable narrator and the author. I am the one transferring the feeling and thought to you, but I have been drowning in existence, too” (Alshammari 4). To conclude, sometimes the writer narrates and sometimes she doesn’t. She is trying to say that she is the writer and the character as well; she could be one of the women inside these stories. Furthermore, she feels like she must express her emotion and thoughts to the audience, and yet she finds herself grappling with her