Innledning
The non-fiction narrative "The Kiss", penned by Elizabeth Baines in 2019, is a poignant exploration of the resilience of three individuals who confront personal turmoil to shape their futures.
Originating in medias res, the narrative introduces us to three central characters - a young woman and two young men, each with a history marred by trauma, encompassing abuse, anger, alienation, and discrimination.
The narrative garners its title, "The Kiss," from a significant event that unfolds at a subway station in London, where the female protagonist and one of the young men lean in to share a kiss, just as the other boy arms the detonator to a bomb.
This event in the narrative symbolically communicates the contrasting methods individuals employ to cope with a traumatic past.
Some may endeavor to leave behind their adverse experiences, seeking out joy and fulfillment, while others may remain entrapped in their pain, seeking retribution as a form of catharsis.
Utdrag
Lines 16-20 capture the bomber's anxiety: “And his heart turned over, but nothing happened, and in those seconds, he breathed again, though as he stepped to the pavement, he was afraid that the fuse was damaged and panicked that his mission would fail. And the history before”.
Elizabeth Baines, as the author and sender of this message, imbues her narrative with profound insight, demonstrating how swiftly a troubled childhood can spiral into disaster.
The reader, as the receiver of the message, is encouraged to deeply contemplate the factors that can lead a life astray, and the power of personal choice in creating one's own fate, especially in the face of adversity.
The narrative's thematic crux revolves around the power of personal choice in shaping one's life, even when their childhood has been fraught with challenges.
Although many manage to overcome their past, not everyone can escape the shadows of trauma, leading some down a path of self-destruction or harm towards others. The narrative skillfully deploys the three forms of rhetorical appeal - ethos, logos, and pathos.
Baines employs ethos to validate the credibility of her characters' experiences, while logos is used to evoke the readers' rational understanding of the characters' choices given their difficult pasts.
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