The United States is one of the few countries which still apply the death penalty. This is despite the fact that more and more nations are abandoning this cruel punishment. However, given the pressure that advocacy groups are imposing on the government to abolish the death penalty, one can expect that in a few years, the US will move away from this punishment. When it does, the country will essentially have endorsed the perspectives and ideas that Helen Prejean raised in Executions are too Costly-Morally. Using Biblical stipulations and ideals, Prejean manages to convince her audience that the death penalty is unjust, immoral and too costly.
As noted above, Helen Prejean is the author of Executions are too Costly-Morally. The primary purpose of this text is to persuade the audience that the death penalty is difficult to justify from a moral standpoint. Relying on provisions of the Bible and the teachings of such leaders as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., Prejean argues that the death penalty goes against the spirit of justice and non-aggression (Prejean, n.d). She adds that “the death penalty costs too much. Allowing our government to kill citizens compromises the deepest moral values upon which the country was conceived” (p. 626). For much of the text, she encourages her readers to embrace forgiveness and mercy instead of seeking revenge. There are a number of factors that inspired Prejean to write the text. Her first-hand experiences with death-row inmates are among these factors. Prejean observed the anguish and torment that these inmates endure (Prejean, n.d). Prejean also noted that the death penalty was applied in a cruel fashion. She was so moved that she decided to warn the world about the tremendous damage that the death penalty causes.
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Any individual will gain some insight from Prejean’s text. However, the text seems to be primarily aimed at supporters of the death penalty. This is because Prejean uses the text to highlight what is wrong with the death penalty. For example, she argues that the death penalty is inconsistent with Biblical principles and violates the principle of justice and humanity on which the American criminal justice system should be based (Prejean, n.d). Prejean’s text also appears to target the policymakers involved in decisions surrounding the death penalty. By underscoring the inappropriateness and unfairness of this punishment, Prejean essentially urges them to adopt reforms.
In order to understand a text as it was originally intended, one should make considerations for the contextual factors that shaped the writing of the text. The debate regarding the death penalty is the main contextual issue that influenced how Prejean wrote the text. In the introductory section of the text, it is noted that the text was partly in response to the argument that the death penalty is an appropriate punishment for such grave crimes as murder. To highlight the flaws in this argument, Prejean decided to write the text. She made it clear that even she were a victim of murder, she would not want to government to avenge her death (Prejean, n.d. This is because she found the government to be incompetent and cannot be trusted to execute simple tasks, let alone carrying out the death penalty properly.
In addition to the context, the location where a text was written should also be considered when reading and analyzing it. Although there is no mention of where Prejean wrote her piece, some informed guesses can be made. As noted above, the introduction mentions that the details in the text are based on Prejean’s interactions with death-row inmates awaiting execution in Louisiana. That Prejean’s experiences occurred in Louisiana is significant. This is because Louisiana is among the states that still apply the death penalty (Izagguire, 2018). One can argue that through the text, Prejean set out to persuade the people of Louisiana to join her in opposing the death penalty. Given how powerful and well-written her arguments are, one can expect that Louisiana will soon be leading the US in calls for the abolishment of the death penalty.
The voice that an author adopts plays a critical role in shaping the effectiveness of their writing. While she makes numerous references to third parties, Prejean’s voice is mostly personal. She offers her personal interpretations of Biblical texts and the teachings of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. The personal voice that she adopts helps to enhance the appeal and strength of her message. For instance, Prejean notes that she understands that the execution of inmates is shrouded in secrecy with the goal of keeping the public from understanding how cruel the death penalty is (Prejean, n.d). Essentially, her personal voice allows readers to understand the details and dynamics of the death penalty from the perspective of an insider who has had first-hand encounters with death-row inmates.
Prejean’s text combines different elements of different genres. This makes it rather difficult to classify the text as being of a particular kind. However, a close examination of the text reveals that if must be placed in a genre, this genre is an essay. For the most part, she conforms to the conventions and norms that define essays. Essentially, essays involve personal accounts and perspectives on a given issue. Moreover, essays rely on science and logic to present and defend arguments. In support of her calls for the abolishment of the death penalty, Prejean uses arguments from the Bible and the philosophies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi (Prejean, n.d). As an essay, her text is indeed powerful and effective. Combining personal perspectives with evidence, Prejean manages to move her audiences to recognize the evil and the inappropriateness of the death penalty.
Rhetorical appeals are among the tools that writers often use to enhance the strength and persuasive effect of their work. This is certainly the case with Prejean’s essay. She uses logos, ethos and pathos. Ethos is concerned with how an author uses their expertise and character to persuade an audience. Prejean’s ethos primarily emerges from her interactions with death-row inmates. Basically, these interactions give her the authority to lecture her audience on what is wrong with the death penalty. Her audience can trust that she possesses the insights and perspectives needed to discuss an issue that is as complex and sensitive as the death penalty. Logos involves using logic to appeal to the mind of an audience. Prejean uses this tool effectively. She provides solid arguments to support her position. For example, she breaks down verses in the Bible as part of her effort to convince the audience that when viewed as a whole, the Bible is opposed to the death penalty (Prejean, n.d). Prejean also cites the works and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. She does this with the goal of enabling her audience to understand that the death penalty is disproportionate and morally unjustifiable. Pathos is primarily concerned with invoking emotional responses from readers. Prejean’s use of pathos can be seen in her personal approach and the description of how cruel the death penalty is. This appeal allows her to make it clear to her audience that the death penalty damages lives and compromises the purpose of criminal justice.
In conclusion, the debate regarding the death penalty continues to rage. Through her text, Prejean attempts to add some clarity into this debate. She takes the position that the death penalty is morally unjustifiable and costly. Citing the experiences of death-row inmates, Prejean argues that the death penalty does not improve the state of society. In addition to these experiences, Prejean also uses the three rhetorical appeals to make her argument convincing. Her essay is indeed persuasive and should be presented to those involved in drafting policies concerning the death penalty. After reading the text, they will be convinced that the death penalty should be abandoned.
References
Izagguire, A. (2018). Push to end Louisiana death penalty likely over this session. The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 28, 2018 from https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/push-to-end-louisiana-death-penalty-likely-over-this-session/
Prejean, H. (n.d). Executions are too costly-morally.
