Analyzing Message in "Equal =/= The Same..."

kropekk_pl, "message" 2014 via pixabay, CC0 Public Domain license

On page 181 of "A Student's Guide to First Year Writing" it is explained that one can analyze what a text's message and purpose is by determining exactly what an author is or is not trying to achieve. I used these examples of questions to ask in order to determine my text's main purpose.

1. The three bullet points from page 181 that seem most relevant to my text are that the author is trying to:

• inform the reader about a topic that is often misunderstood
• persuade an audience of something
• advocate for change

What these 3 bullets all have in common is that my text conveys a clear problem and need for change in terms of how we treat research done on different sexes, so it is definitely trying to persuade, inform, and advocate.

2. All of the bullets seem fairly relevant to my author's purpose with the exception of the text as a response to a specific event. While the text itself was brought about by the problem with the FDA and medicine given affecting different sexes in different ways, it is not in response to that event so much as it is in response to the general concept of sex differences.

3. There are not really layers to my text's purpose. Cahill, the author, lays the purpose out for all to see practically immediately, with the introduction of the problem that serves as background information. Then, again almost immediately, the cultural issue as part of the purpose of this text is brought up. The message sent through this text is not hidden in any way.