Close Reading, December 11

         Women are being harmed all across the world, and only because they volunteered to help people.  Women in the Peace Corps are sexually assaulted or raped on much too regular of a basis, and when they report it, almost nothing is done.  The author of the article "Peace Corps must do more to protect volunteers abroad" (http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-20/bostonglobe/29565413_1_peace-corps-volunteers-young-volunteers-sexual-assault) tries to show us how much the Peace Corps needs to change using diction, details, and syntax.

            The author uses diction with pejorative connotations such as "culpability" and "recalcitrant" to give the reader an almost instinctive bad opinion of the Peace Corps leaders.  I say that because if someone uses a word that you automatically recognize to be pejorative or that puts someone in a bad light you are more likely to begin thinking of the person badly.  This is why the author's diction is so persuasive, they have you edging closer to their point of view on the issue before you even notice yourself being swayed.  Another spot where you see diction coming into play is in the sentence where the author describes how the leaders of the Peace Corps are "paralyzed, perhaps, by a desire to protect the agency’s own mission".  The word paralyzed calls to mind the phrase paralyzed with fear, which is often reminiscent of a hunted animal trying to save its life.  This idea of a single animal helps point out how selfish the agency is being.  We see that again when it says "the agency's own mission", the use of the reflexive adjective blatantly shows the reader how self serving the agency is.

            The author craftily manipulates the usage of detail to keep the reader on their side.  For example, in this sentence "From 2000 to 2009, more than 1,000 volunteers reported sexual assaults or rapes." the author gives us a factual detail that shows us how many volunteers are harmed, and that makes the article seem more valid.  However, the author makes sure not to tell us how many volunteers there are total, which could make the number look smaller.

            Sentences such as "There’s much more to do." or "But the corps must confront this issue head on." are short and blunt, which conveys the author's idea of what should happen next.  The shortness of the sentences shows almost a form of anticipation or impatience; like the author can't wait to start reforming the agency.  The bluntness also helps show us this idea of immediate action by not wasting time with too many words.

            The author really gets their point across and helps pull the reader onto their side by using diction, detail, and syntax in interesting ways.  Now let's hope that the agency itself is getting the message.