Rhetorical Analysis Of El Stacey Letter To Eliza Stacey

The 1847 Eliza Stacey letter to Edward Stacey is a historical plea for help. In the letter, Eliza writes that her husband George has fallen into a bad debt that has been detrimental to their family, and their only hope is a loan from Edward to bail him out of jail. However ordinary this letter may seem, its purpose is supported by several advanced rhetorical strategies. The letter from Eliza Stacey to her father-in-law utilizes logos, ethos, and pathos to persuade him to financially help their struggling family. In this way, she effectively leads him to understand that George is innocent and deserves his financial assistance.

The first portion of the letter primarily uses Logos, the art of using reason to persuade, to shift the responsibility

To achieve this, she primarily focuses on the impact George's absence has had on the family. In this section specifically, Eliza uses repetition of the rhetorical question to appeal to her Father in Law's emotions, which is the art of pathos. Despite their debt, her family had also had to pay almost 80 extra pounds for legal fees and interest regarding the case, and without a man's income, there was no plausible way for Eliza to pay this off herself. Eliza pleads, "How can I survive?" (52), "How can I now do it?" (60), and how can I manage?" (43). Assuming the position as a troubled, tired, pregnant housewife, she uses every opportunity she can to evoke pity in her audience. Increased use of descriptive language in this section also supports her goal. Example of this are her "weary body" (48) the kitchen made icy by the intensity of the cold (56), and the lack of her husband's consolation at her time of need (54).The repetition of the rhetorical question and use of descriptive language help Eliza establish Pathos in the piece, therefore helping her to persuade her father in law to assist her and her