Name:

Due Date:

Instructor:

Class Number:

Beyond Silence: The Parent’s Love for their Child

            The letter written is addressed to Peter as a call to him and to his wife, as parents, in relation to the necessity to allow their daughter to have cochlear implants. The importance of this operation to be carried out is for their daughter to be able to hear, and eventually experience listening to the sound that life offers. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the letter by identifying the positive factors and results of cochlear implants; the writer’s appeal to the emotions of the parents; and present an assessment of the positive and negative points of the letter.

To begin with, the writer cited the positive outcomes and factors if the child will be allowed to have cochlear implants. Speaking from his own experiences, the writer cited that, the child will learn more and be able to grow fully as a person if she will be able to hear. Furthermore, one’s ability to hear also opens to wider opportunities in different fields. Nonetheless, credibility was not established fully by the writer because most of the arguments presented were inclined on his own perception. The writer could have established credibility if he had thoroughly stated his positive experiences, during his childhood and until now, because of his ability to hear. This could have been compelling and credible to the reader of the letter. Also, the introduction of the letter was a positive point to consider because the writer emphasized the strength of the family, which is an affirming gesture for the reader of the letter. This strength involves the ability of the parents to raise their child in a caring, loving, and well-grounded family even if they are deaf.

An equally important point made by the writer was the appeal targeted towards the emotions of the parents. The writer used words such as family, love, respect, and connection in his letter in order to convey his sentiments to the reader. The writer explicitly stated that the cochlear implant will not only be good for the child, but it will also positively affect the whole family. In addition, the writer also sympathized and understood the fear of the parents that their child will forget the ties they have established once she will be able to hear. Nevertheless, the writer made some assuring points that learning through hearing does not change the totality of the person; instead, it will out his or her true identity. In addition, the writer appealed to the openness of the parents of the child by acknowledging their immersion with a family who had undergone the same situation. This is a vital point in the letter because, in this manner, the writer had made it known that the efforts of the parents are important in this process. This also implies that there is hope in allowing their child to have the cochlear implants.

            In the same way, the writer appealed to the emotions of the parents by admitting that he does know what the family truly feels because he is not in their position. This admission also plays a key role in the persuasive power of the letter as it reflects honesty. Honesty is important in any act of persuasion because this will supplement the feasibility and truthfulness of the stand of the writer. This then opens a window of possibility that the audience will be compelled to believe the contents of the letter. It may be that the parents may argue that this is the reason why they will not believe the writer: because he is not deaf or mute. However, this will also show that the experiences related to them by the writer were true. The honesty of the writer also supports that his experiences in hearing bring joy to him, which will also be experienced by their child after the transplant.

All things considered, it can be assessed that the letter is a personal appeal, which has its positive and negative aspects. Personally, the low point of the letter is that most of the arguments and evidences raised are anchored on personal opinion and perception. It could have been better if the writer included studies or other personal experiences regarding cochlear implants, which he had gathered. The second low point of the letter was that there was no thorough or substantial evidence about how cochlear implants would work. This is important because the parents, or any audience, must gain basic knowledge regarding the implants for them to be able to weigh their decisions objectively. Also, in a personal perspective, if given the chance to alter the letter, it would be better if a personal story about the wonders of being able to hear will be added. In this way, there will be a possibility that the parents of the child will feel the truthfulness of the experience. Moreover, another change that can be made in the letter is including a personal experiment on being deaf even just for a day. In this way, the writer will have an objective gauge on the effects of the cochlear implants to the child.

On the other hand, there are also positive points presented in the letter. The first high point is that the writer was honest about his opinions. Honesty is important especially when a person is persuading an audience. This is because honesty equates that the writer or speaker is truthful of his or her words and that he or she is not only saying these in order to win the hearts and minds of the audience. The next high point of the letter is that the writer approached it an emotional manner. This approach can easily captivate a parent or audience, may they be deaf or not. Moreover, the writer was able to make persuasive points in the letter by focusing on his experiences as a child. This was essential because the main point of the letter was for the well-being of the child. If the parents considered the stories of the writer to be positive, then there is a chance that they will consider it to be positive for their daughter.

            In essence, the writer used his knowledge about love and the sacrifices that the parents are capable of doing for their child in order to make a persuasive argument. The emotional appeal of the letter towards the reader made it compelling, and the personal and honest input of the writer made the letter persuasive. Overall, there may have been some downsides on anchoring mostly on the emotions of the reader, but the writer was still able to inject some logical and ethical reasoning to the content.