Brennan

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Michael Brennan
Ms. Meyer
AP English
November 2014

Persuasive Methods within The C Word in the Hallways

Utter disgust for the fevered minds of the ignorant populace thoroughly saturates The C
Word in the Hallways. The essay was published a short 6 months after the incident at
Columbine, taking advantage of the short time span, and was written by Anna Quindlen, author,
journalist, and mother. Disdain and potent arguments exercised through vehemence and critical
confrontation are utilized with striking effectiveness in The C Word in the Hallways. Presenting
references to historical literary works and numerous allusions to disease, Quindlen solidifies her
stand against ignorance by correlating it with illness, as well as including copious amounts of
sarcasm and blame when referring to our corrupt medical systems. However, what truly
weaponizes the essay is that its entirety is coated with an undertone of fear and disgust, and this
is exceptionally effective in amplifying and driving home Quindlens message against the
undermining of mental illness through sheer terrifying logic.
From the outset of Quindlens work, effective techniques are being used to ingrain her
position into the piece, first in the form of referencing other famous works. Alluding to
Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, Quindlen refers to the ignorance of rising suicide rates in recent
years as a plague on all of our houses. In using plague to tie Shakespeares work back into

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hers, Qindlen reinforces the subject of illness. In addition, a plague on all our houses indicates
that this ignorance does not cease at a single doorstep, but is a perpetual cycle of blindness; this
emphasizes the futility and severity of illness, both within the minds of the afflicted and within
our own households. Disease is perpetually reiterated within this piece, once again when she
compares the potential of attention to save lives as surely as any vaccine, in relating the ending
of ignorance to the potency of a medical treatment or cure. It could also be derived from this
association of humans to disease that the minds of the populace are far more fevered and
contorted than those with mental illnesses, for their lack of concern and involvement is a far
more sickening and detrimental deficiency. This implied allusion serves to pierce the ignorant
vale that shrouds the audience, and bring forth a layer of understanding to the plight of the
afflicted.
Quindlen is very comfortable criticizing the medical systems and individuals which
hinder progress. A doctor flying blind with an icepickleaving them to loll away their days
The description of a misled, deranged doctor hacking away at the brain of a patient with an
icepick creates vivid and horrific images within the mind of the reader. In comparing the modern
procedure to a primitive lobotomy, Quindlen conveys a caustic lack of faith in the current
system, noting its affectivity as no more than a blind cleaving of the brain, only reassuring the
utter lack of ability in dealing with mental illness that plagues our society. Further emphasizing
the absolute idiocy and inability of medical officers, Quindlen compares the length of a
psychological examination to the meager span of time it takes to consume a happy meal.

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Sarcastic and blatantly ironic to the fullest extent, the choice of the word happy conveys a
sense of ludicrousy and serves equally well to express Quindlens dissatisfaction in the
downplaying of this issue in the medical field. A similar technique is used when lobotomies are
described as warm fuzzies, right after which, Quindlen jolts to a thoroughly humorless tone
with the blunt and painfully truthful statement psychological intervention is cheaper than
incarceration. To shift so deftly between a tone of mock and morbidity is horrifically effective
in creating a shock and awe effect, leaving the reader reeling with surprise and inducing a state
of disarray and forced pensiveness.
To drive the stake deep within the mind of the reader, Quindlen merely has to mention
death. Within the final paragraphs, she reinforces her message through the hypothetical
consequence of a father identifying a body. In this usage of demise, the minds of the populace
might be swayed, for upon reading this, one truly wishes that the nameless body of the deceased
might not be a loved one of their own. By making this connection with the reader, her final
paragraphs serve to demand the moral obligation of parents, and society in general, to recognize
the severity and seriousness of mental illness. She directly criticizes the minimal efforts of those
who might have prevented tragedies like these, taking malignant shots at insurance providers, as
well as hospitals and school systems.
Quindlen is horrifically effective in manipulating her audience by means of allusion,
criticism and blatant, compelling discontent. Employing stinging, painfully truthful logic, she
masterfully crafts her argument, all the while imbuing the essay with a cruel undertone of fear.

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Expressions of conviction, by means of venomous rhetorical techniques are the most powerful
tools utilized within this persuasive piece, and they are used in such an effective manner that they
shock the reader into submission, leaving their now amenable, vulnerable mind at the cruel
mercy of the author.