Use of Literary Proofs by Authors to Support Ideas

An effective author uses a variety of literary proofs in order to support the ideas that they write about. As a result of the various examples of literary proofs, different authors use different methods of proof based on what they are writing about. In the essays, "The Not So Deadly Sin" by Barbara Kingsolver and "The Death of History is Bunk" by Patrick Watson, the authors clearly demonstrate the use of strong literary proofs. Within the essay "The Not So Deadly Sin" written by Barbara Kingsolver, the use of literary proofs help support her ideas. The first literary proof she uses is personal anecdotes. When she says, "My sister and parents are alive and well, thanks. I don't have an adopted child." (Kingsolver, 274). Barbara is referring back to her own life in order to fully get her point across in her essay. She is telling the readers the real facts about her family so that they understand that her stories are just stories. By using a personal anecdote she proves to the readers that not all pieces of writing are written from experience but rather creativity. In addition, Kingsolver appeals to personal beliefs and values within her writing. She writes, "And secondarily, because I believe the purpose of art is not to photocopy life but to distill it…" (Kingsolver, 274). Through sharing this personal belief, Barbara is able to communicate the reasons behind her essay. Again, she is able to clearly communicate the purpose of her essay to prove that not all authors stories are written based on experience. Indeed, the proofs that Barbara Kingsolver uses for her essay are very effective in supporting her