Write A Rhetorical Analysis Of Linda Hasselstrom's Article

Linda M. Hasselstrom’s essay from Land Circle describes her experience of validating gun ownership usage in dangerous situations, despite her reluctant nature to use one. However, when it was written, it was a controversial topic amongst people about whether the United States should have stricter gun safety measures. Hasselstrom’s writing career revolves around everyday life in the American West. She received a master’s degree in journalism and became a highly respected poet, essayist, and writing teacher. One of the main subjects discussed within her essay was the usage of guns for self protection. She argues that women can only be treated with respect with the use of weapons, despite the precautions that women take to protect themselves against

The purpose of this article is to validate the ownership of a gun for safety measures as a woman. However, Linda M. Hasselstrom wrote that gun possession can increase a woman’s safety immensely if used correctly. Despite the controversial topic about the dangers of owning a gun, she disagrees with it. As stated within her essay, “A pistol is not the only way to avoid being raped or murdered in today’s world, but, intelligently wielded, it can shift the balance of power and provide a measure of safety.” She not only explains that owning a gun is not the only solution to the problem, however, it is a solution that can tip in a woman's favor. Furthermore, she provides another good example she gives that a gun can balance the powers between two parties, “”Right over there,” I said, still being polite. “—there, and over there.” I pointed at the pistol, which I’d slipped under my thigh. Within one minute the cans and the men were back in the car and headed down the road.” In typical situations, a polite request should be met with compliance, but it was met with

In the real world, women often have to take multiple precautions to be safe from men, such as having multiple locks on the entrances of their homes, transporting with trusted friends to arrive safely at their destinations, or even making sure they watch their drinks all the time to make sure it doesn’t get spiked. With the usage of irony, it elicits a frustrated emotion from the audience because it reveals the absurdity that women have to deal with insufferable behavior from men because they believe that they are able to do anything without consequences. Hasselstrom uses her experience to create pathos and ethos to evoke empathy and build credibility towards her essay. She claimed that, “Perhaps this is an idea whose time has come, though the pacifist inside me will be saddened if the only way women can achieve equality is by carrying weapons.” She creates this dejected tone by explaining the assumption that women could never be respected by men without having to be in fear for their