Eliza Stacey’s letter to her father in-law functions rhetorically using the pathos appeal to persuade her father in-law into paying her husbands debt. Stacey is writing to her father in-law about a debt her husband has not paid off and she is expressing her dilemma and cries for help by saying that her hopes are frustrated and more equally depressed by disappointment. This is conveying that she is using her emotions, she is expressing her hopelessness and frustrations to persuade her father in-law into helping her family pay the debt her husband owes. Stacey states, “You can imagine my stress and tears and poor George was distraught leaving me suddenly with everything to do, and my baby is due in about two weeks’ time.” Stacey is expressing her grief and she is looking for compassion from her father in-law because of all this suffering that she is going through without her husband. Stacey is using the fact that she is having her baby in two weeks to bring more attention to the severity of her issues and her family struggles. …show more content…
I expect to be confined and Fred cannot carry the whole farm upon his young shoulders.” Stacey is explicating more about why she needs help and why her father in-law should get involved and help her family with this situation. Stacey reveals that not only is her baby due in two weeks, but, there is a man in the house that has been hired and she does not want to get rid of him because she can’t manage without the help and her son is too young to carry all the responsibilities. Eliza brings direct attention by stating that, “Fred can not carry the whole farm upon his young shoulders.” She wants her father in-law to understand that her son is so young and he cannot manage it all on his own without any