Author Mary Roach, in her novel Stiff, delivers informative content on the history and modern use of human cadavers, as well as her own personal commentary on the topic in order to expose the reader to the organ donation not only to save emergent lives, but also to progress scientific discoveries. Clare Boothe Luce, a journalist, prepares her audience for criticism by presenting an exposition to an audience of also journalists before she uncovers flaws in the American Press, however, first she must establish herself in a position credible to deliver criticism. In both works, Roach and Luce have a common theme behind each of their goals: to not only convince their audience of a controversial idea, but to also normalize it, and make discussion
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Throughout Roach’s novel her experience in crafting works covering loaded topics with a casual and light-hearted approach that can be observed. Within her first chapter, she opens with the analogy, “being dead is a lot like being on a cruise ship” before launching into any scientific explanation of what human cadavers are like (9). Roach structures her exposure to her reader in this way to add light to the perceived dark topic of human cadavers, which Americans are hesitant to discuss since it’s so closely related to death. Luce, breaks up her longer winded thoughts with short interjections, indicated but dashes in the transcript, in order to get every side of her argument in without overwhelming the audience. For example, Luce uses this pattern when she declares the issue of the American Press trading journalist's integrity for sensenstaionlist stories is a, “subject not only is of great national significance but one has, one should say, infinite possibilities--and infinite perils to the rock thrower” (1). This method makes it easier for Luce to effectively prepare her audience for the kind of speaker she’ll be in her upcoming speech: empathetic to their pitfalls yet simultaneously a brutally honest who is confident in her own assertions and can contribute a meaningful narration for what the American press to remain the, “far and away the best press in the world”
Throughout Roach’s novel her experience in crafting works covering loaded topics with a casual and light-hearted approach that can be observed. Within her first chapter, she opens with the analogy, “being dead is a lot like being on a cruise ship” before launching into any scientific explanation of what human cadavers are like (9). Roach structures her exposure to her reader in this way to add light to the perceived dark topic of human cadavers, which Americans are hesitant to discuss since it’s so closely related to death. Luce, breaks up her longer winded thoughts with short interjections, indicated but dashes in the transcript, in order to get every side of her argument in without overwhelming the audience. For example, Luce uses this pattern when she declares the issue of the American Press trading journalist's integrity for sensenstaionlist stories is a, “subject not only is of great national significance but one has, one should say, infinite possibilities--and infinite perils to the rock thrower” (1). This method makes it easier for Luce to effectively prepare her audience for the kind of speaker she’ll be in her upcoming speech: empathetic to their pitfalls yet simultaneously a brutally honest who is confident in her own assertions and can contribute a meaningful narration for what the American press to remain the, “far and away the best press in the world”