Analysis of “Who Was She? A DNA Test Only Opened New Mysteries”
Libby Copeland in “Who Was She? A DNA Test Only Opened New Mysteries” uses structure and word choice to illustrate her purpose in the mystifying true story of Alice Collins Plebuch. Plebuch took a DNA test for fun and discovered she was part Jewish. This is surprising because both her parents were thought to be Irish. After digging for several years, she discovers her grandfather was switched at birth with another baby. In the end, Plebuch makes peace with the results and learns of new family members. One method Copeland uses in her article is structure. The length of sentences affects how the reader perceives the story. Throughout the article, she used short sentences to guide the story and long sentences to give further detail. But the long sentences were rare and only gave necessary details when needed as opposed to the short sentences that propelled the story. Using the shortest sentences, she made her …show more content…
Keeping a professional tone makes the article easy to read but also respectable. One example of this is “Plebuch and Wiggins came to the stunned conclusion that their dad was somehow not related to his own parents” (Copeland). With words like “stunned”, it sounds professional, but also easy to understand. Using slang would have made Copeland’s article seem like an unreliable source, but using scientific words would have limited her viewers. The third strategy Copeland uses is the power of purpose. Not only does she want to share Plebuch story, but she also wants to inspire others. After reading the article, the reader feels compelled to discover their own genealogy. Without advocating a specific company, she urged readers to uncover their family history through word choice and sentence structure. Towards the beginning, she explains how DNA tests work and where to find them. Then, she tells Plebuch’s story in a way that captivates the
Libby Copeland in “Who Was She? A DNA Test Only Opened New Mysteries” uses structure and word choice to illustrate her purpose in the mystifying true story of Alice Collins Plebuch. Plebuch took a DNA test for fun and discovered she was part Jewish. This is surprising because both her parents were thought to be Irish. After digging for several years, she discovers her grandfather was switched at birth with another baby. In the end, Plebuch makes peace with the results and learns of new family members. One method Copeland uses in her article is structure. The length of sentences affects how the reader perceives the story. Throughout the article, she used short sentences to guide the story and long sentences to give further detail. But the long sentences were rare and only gave necessary details when needed as opposed to the short sentences that propelled the story. Using the shortest sentences, she made her …show more content…
Keeping a professional tone makes the article easy to read but also respectable. One example of this is “Plebuch and Wiggins came to the stunned conclusion that their dad was somehow not related to his own parents” (Copeland). With words like “stunned”, it sounds professional, but also easy to understand. Using slang would have made Copeland’s article seem like an unreliable source, but using scientific words would have limited her viewers. The third strategy Copeland uses is the power of purpose. Not only does she want to share Plebuch story, but she also wants to inspire others. After reading the article, the reader feels compelled to discover their own genealogy. Without advocating a specific company, she urged readers to uncover their family history through word choice and sentence structure. Towards the beginning, she explains how DNA tests work and where to find them. Then, she tells Plebuch’s story in a way that captivates the