Summary Of A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries A Gun

The thought of a self-proclaimed, “peaceful” person carrying a lethal weapon with them may befuddle some, but in Linda M Hasselstrom’s essay titled,”A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries A Gun”, the author attempts to help readers understand why she carries a gun. Hasselstrom grew up in South Dakota and now currently resides on a ranch in South Dakota, her works mainly focus on life in the US and Midwest. Hasselstrom includes the use of multiple rhetorical devices in her essay and manages to utilize them effectively. The author appeals to readers trust by including personal accounts of her own experiences and hardships. Secondly, Hasselstrom utilizes the use of fear and anger to pull to pull the reader in and force them to take the topic

A quote that shows her appealing to ethos is when Hasselstrom tells the story of her camping with a friend,”The illegal spot was lovely, but our enjoyment of that park was ruined.” Thus quite encompasses what the passage was about, vaguely. By Hasselstrom including this account, it shows the reader that she is not joking and has real experience in what she is talking about. Other example of the author using personal experience to sway the reader towards her argument is when she is talking about kung fu,”I also learned that one must practice several hours a day to be good at kung fu.” By the author including that she tried alternative methods of protection, shows how transitioning to a handgun was no easy choice for her to make. It provides insight into her motives and that she is not just throwing her opinions at the reader with no inside experience. Lastly, in the next quote, the author uses an experience in which she is now carrying a pistol,”The pistol just changed the balance of power.” This shows, again her own experience which is convincing for the reader and the effectiveness of the firearm in scaring the men away shows that it is