Analysis Of Dawn And Mary By Brian Doyle

On December 14, 2012, a gunman entered an elementary school in Sandy Hook, Connecticut and killed 20 innocent children between ages six and seven, and six adults. The day started like any other day. Teachers were attending a morning meeting. The halls were decked with the artwork of students and clay self-portraits. Nearly a year later, a novelist, children’s book writer, and an award-winning author named Brian Doyle wrote an article titled Dawn and Mary, a tribute to the two women. His article also brings attention to the gun control problem we have in the United States. In this piece, Doyle describes who Dawn and Mary were, from the moment when they heard the gunfire to the moment when Dawn and Mary were brave heroes. Then, he creatively …show more content…
Doyle creates the tone and message by adding clean details that let the reader connect to this piece individually, and points out the possible outcome. Mid-way through the writing, Doyle shifts his third person point of view to a first and second person point of view. This shift, helps the reader become part of the story by using abstract pronouns like: “You,” “I’, “We,” and “They” which draws the reader's attention that they are now part of this tragic day. He craftily creates the emotional appeal to the reader. Doyle’s closing paragraph grasps the reader's attention using repetition. Stating if you hear someone say the word “hero,” then tell them the story of Dawn and Mary. The story about how they loved to care for “small holy beings.” Then the moment when they “leaped” out of their chairs running towards the boy with the rifle. Doyle then finishes his piece strongly, by repeatedly stating that “if we ever forget” when a gunman came to a school full of children and killed 26 innocent individuals, then we allowed this tragedy to be murdered too. Using this death-like diction connects Dawn and Mary’s average lives and the moment they “ran” towards the boy. It's not only astonishing that they ran towards the boy with a rifle, but by doing so, they sacrificed their lives. If it weren't for these brave women, more children would have died …show more content…
The writer supports the message on gun control by incorporating specific details about Mary and Dawn. Doyle is able to do this after suddenly introducing them when they heard the gunshots. He makes little details seem like you’ve known Dawn and Mary. We learn that Dawn is the principle and Mary is another staffer. They both have families, two daughters, a husband of 10 years and 30 years. Dawn liked to get down on her knees to work with the “littlest kids” in her school. Mary was planning on retiring in a year. She too loved getting on her knees, except in her garden. Doyle’s use of characterization is what made this piece compelling. What we learned about Dawn and Mary created this bubble of connections. They become part of the reader's life. The bubble makes the reader have emotions about the tragedy, even if they didn’t know Dawn and Mary personally. The author wanted us to recognize the dichotomy between their normal lives and the tragedy that occurred. The use of personal details emphasized the passion they had for those children, creating an understanding of why Dawn and Mary ran towards the boy with the