Rhetorical Analysis Of Handicapped By Nancy Mairs

Mairs has multiple sclerosis, as described in the passage. She describes herself as “crippled” even though there are other words to use in a case as such. In her essay, Nancy Mairs uses rhetorical devices such as tone, word choice, and rhetorical structure to present herself and her ailing condition.
Mairs uses tone to convey how she feels about her multiple sclerosis. She states, “I want them to see me…whom the fates, viruses, and gods have not been kind, but who can face the brutal truth of her existence.” In this sentence, Mairs is being straightforward and showing no empathy towards her condition. Through her harsh tone, she gives off the impression of being strong, as well as accepting. Mairs also states, “I certainly don’t like handicapped, which implies that I’ve been deliberately put at a disadvantage.” She emphasized that she’s more than just “handicapped” since her legs are “immobile.” She is hard on herself in order to give off a strong and courageous vibe. Overall, the tone that she uses to describe herself and her condition is strict.
Instead of using the euphemistic word “disabled” or “handicapped,” she strictly chose the word “crippled.” She expressed that using other words, doesn’t clearly express her condition. She explains, “These words seem to be moving away from my condition, to be widening the gap between word and reality.” She doesn’t want to make the reader feel sympathy, instead she hopes they will view her as a strong woman. She feels as if “crippled” is the perfect word to describe how she feels. Mairs replaces the euphemistic words and phrases with much more brutal sounding phrases to show that she doesn’t feel pity for