Pythia Peay's Soul Searching

Pythia Peay's Soul Searching

Most people are identified by where they are from and what type of background they are accustomed to. In the short story, “Soul Searching,” by Pythia Peay, the topic discussed relates to the city a person lives in and how it eventually becomes a part of their soul. Many rhetorical appeals are displayed throughout the article, and these methods are successful in expressing to the reader how much a city can become a part of an individual. Peay decides to use her home town of Washington, D.C. to demonstrate her argument of identifying with one’s home.

For any article it is important to identify the rhetorical triangle, and get the background information to further the understanding of a subject. The first piece of the rhetorical triangle is the author. Pythia Peay is a writer mostly known for her works in the fields of spirituality and psychology. Her writings tend to focus on specific areas such as “the soul of the city, the messages in our nightly dreams, the spiritual passage of death, the sacred bonds of friendship, and the wisdom of ancient myths” (duplain.com). She has been a columnist for over twenty years and has numerous articles published in “Utne Reader, George, New Age Journal, New Woman, Publisher's Weekly, and Beliefnet.com” (www.duplain.com). Some of her well-known newspaper pieces include her comments on “reincarnation, dreams, healing, and other spiritual topics” (duplain.com). Peay’s credibility in this subject is valid by observing her previous record. Along with checking the credibility of an author, a certain audience is always trying to be reached in any piece of writing. “Soul Searching,” is geared towards any U.S. citizen that lives in a metropolis. Although th...

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...icle states “…she receives regular doses of inspiration from the Georgetown Flea Market and the Potomac River” (Peay 3). Because she observes these specific areas, she knows Washington, D.C. and is valid in describing her home town. Each rhetorical appeal enhances the Pythia Peay’s point of view and enhances the information trying to get across.

Lastly, Pythia Peay establishes her opinion of home is where the heart is by the format used. Deciding to break up the essay into six sections is effective in making it easier to read. The landscape, history, influential people, heart of a town, wounds of a city, and where individuals come together are all detailed descriptions of a city, and describes the topic of her writing. Peay’s method of writing is easy to follow and conveys her points very well inviting the reader to think the same way about their hometown.