In Linda Hasselstrom’s essay “A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Gun,” she uses a casual chain with episodes to organize the causes and effects; a few rhetorical devices, such as anaphora and procatalepsis; a negative connotation vocabulary; a variety of sentence structure with powerful basic sentences; and a conversational style to convey why a peaceful woman carries a gun. Hasselstrom organizes her essay by using a chronological casual chain. She begins with “As a freelance writer I travel alone a lot” (1). Traveling alone causes her to have dangerous encounters. Dangerous encounters cause her to search for ways to defend and protect herself. The chain continues as she attempts different ways, including a CB radio and kung fu, until ultimately choosing to carry a pistol. As she attempts the defense mechanisms, each flaw in them causes her to try the next one until she decides to catty a pistol. Hasselstrom includes episodes in
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Anaphora is present with “by avoiding bars…, by approaching her car…, by locking doors…” (2). With this repetition, she points out how many things women must do to protect themselves. Hasselstrom uses procatalepsis when she says, “But these precautions aren’t always enough. I spent years following them and still found myself in dangerous situations” (2). By using procatalepsis, she emphasizes that something more needs to be done besides being extra careful. Another example of procatalepsis and expletive is when she writes, “But there is no point in having a gun—in fact, gun possession might increase your danger—unless you know you can use it” (3). Hasselstrom shows that she understands that just carrying a gun will not help her, but she must know how to use it, too. Overall, these rhetorical devices help Hasselstrom emphasize her ideas and make them more prominent, so that she can explain why a peaceful woman carries a
Anaphora is present with “by avoiding bars…, by approaching her car…, by locking doors…” (2). With this repetition, she points out how many things women must do to protect themselves. Hasselstrom uses procatalepsis when she says, “But these precautions aren’t always enough. I spent years following them and still found myself in dangerous situations” (2). By using procatalepsis, she emphasizes that something more needs to be done besides being extra careful. Another example of procatalepsis and expletive is when she writes, “But there is no point in having a gun—in fact, gun possession might increase your danger—unless you know you can use it” (3). Hasselstrom shows that she understands that just carrying a gun will not help her, but she must know how to use it, too. Overall, these rhetorical devices help Hasselstrom emphasize her ideas and make them more prominent, so that she can explain why a peaceful woman carries a