Seneca College

Emotional Appeal in Giving Up the Fight

EAC 150 Persuasion Essay

Sarah Brown
EAC 150 MME
Dawn Weston
October 15th 2015

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Sarah Brown
EAC 150 MME
Dawn Weston
October 15th 2015
Emotional Appeal in Giving Up the Fight

All across the world millions of people are fighting a serious chronic illness every single
day. Living with a disease such as epilepsy is very challenging and can take over the lives of the
many people who live with it. Jenn Lamothe author of Giving up the Fight tells the world of
how life was for her while living with epilepsy. She embarks readers on a journey through the
whirlwind of emotions she faced while adapting to the disease. Lamothe uses an emotional
appeal to portray the difficulties of living with epilepsy and how it greatly affects your life each
and every day. Lamothe first begins with fighting the disease, she was in denial. The frustration
progresses from fighting with the disease, to fighting with loved ones and main supporters.
Eventually, she comes around and faces the illness head, and comes to agreement that it is easier
to accept it and move forward. Lamothe persuades readers that emotions can often affect and
change our initial judgement when faced with a chronic illness. Living with epilepsy brings up
emotions and feelings of wanting to constantly fight with the disease, others around you and
most effectively oneself.
I believe that sometimes its better to give up the fight says Lamothe (125). The first
instinct when going through a life change as big as being diagnosed with an illness is to fight.

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Fight the disease, fight the doctors and most significantly fighting yourself. Jenn Lamothe begins
the story by introducing her initial struggle. She had planned to constantly fight the illness to an
extent that it would someday just disappear. Family, friends, doctors and other outsiders knew
that was very unlikely, however, Lamothe continued to fight. Lamothe said on page 126 I
decided that I would fight until my dying breath. The anger and frustration is the first set of
emotions she faces. No matter what anyone one said or the facts that were, presented fighting the
disease was the first thing she would do. She effectively persuades us using emotional appeal,
with the first emotion being anger and frustration.
Lamothe says I fought my doctors, my family, anyone who told me that there was
nothing left to be done, that I would slave to the seizures for the rest of my life (125). This
phrase is another example of the emotional appeal due to living with epilepsy. The author first
began fighting with the illness, which than progressed into her fighting with loved one and the
main supporters in her life. She was in a denial stage, she had to accept the illness. The author
does a great job persuading others of the emotional toll that illnesses and disease can have on
your life. Fighting with others and being in denial is the second emotional roller coaster she
faced.
Finally, Lamothe accepts her illness and stands up for herself, and begins to attack the
illness with a positive attitude. It was to the point her fighting for the disease, was way harder
and more difficult than just accepting it and moving on. It took just that one moment of
realization I am not only losing the battle, I am wasting my life (Lamothe, 126). Lamothe says
I remembered that I am a woman, not just an epileptic (126), which really shows how her life
was returning to the way it was prior to the illness taking over. Emotions connect readers to the
story. Lamothe tells the readers that accepting the illness is being proactive and is the best way to

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cope. Its easier and requires less work. The final emotion and the moral of the story is that
accepting your illness and moving forward will benefit the affected better.
Jenn Lamothe absolutely persuades readers by luring them into her personal life, by
speaking with true emotions. The author makes it relatable for all those who are suffering with
similar diseases that its okay, and it is time to accept the disease. She accurately describes the 3
main phases: Fighting the disease, isolating herself and shutting out others and then finally
accepting the disease and moving forward on with her life. The author uses an emotional appeal
to directly impact the readers and hook them in.

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Seneca College

The Persuasion of Self-Acceptance in Giving Up the Fight

EAC 150 Persuasion Essay

Maria Petin
EAC 150 MME
Dawn Weston
October 15th 2015