American Soldier Letter Analysis

Based on the email written “American Soldier Letter,” the unnamed soldier is a skeptical and exhausted individual who shows his feelings towards his experiences in Iraq. His attitudes toward his services are shown through his tone in the letter, the sarcastic examples of language to create a sense of humor, and syntax/appeals given to the readers by the speaker. Throughout the letter, the author implicates the harsh living conditions in Iraq by using an angry and tired tone. The author first reveals his experience of weather in Iraq by suggesting, “dress warmly… It gets really freakin’ cold here at night” (23). When the reader fully interprets this sentence, they can identify a sense of irritation and exhaustion from the letter. In line 25, the author also states, “I don’t even feel like talking about the latrine experience” to express his fatigue feelings of operating in Iraq. These tonical experiences create sympathy for the speaker from the reader, and lets the reader understand the harsh circumstances the author is experiencing.
The letter written by the author contains many sets of emotions.
The author uses skepticism to create a considerate and entertaining letter. In line 25, speaker describes the living area as “... a canister poured all over you, your bed, your clothing, and your personal effects.” This sentence provides a realistic example that could connect the reader to the author's’ experiences, and also creates an interesting sense of humor. Although the reader never visits the army camps in Iraq, they can feel and sense the tough settings of soldiers serving in the camps. When the author states, “ Tear down the three walls… You have as much privacy as I have” (11), the reader can sense the emotions expressed by the author towards the harsh circumstances. These techniques using language defines the letter and gives the readers the ability to understand the author’s
experiences.
In terms of appeals and syntax, the letter identifies both the author’s ability and writing style. The letter contains examples of pathos that conveys the author’s message with more meaning and details. When the author says “... felt like either crying or lighting myself on fire” (27), the reader can exactly sense how the author feels. The arrangement of words and examples containing emotions result in a more complex and interesting letter to interpret. The author also displays his experiences so that they are relatable to the reader. The speaker explains many of his personal experiences in the letter that lets the reader understand his tiredness and anger towards his service in the harsh conditions of Iraq.
The speaker uses many rhetorical strategies to convey his tyrannical experiences in Iraq to his readers. The soldier also expresses his anger and exhaustion using advanced language, explaining his skeptical emotions, realistic tone explaining the letter in detail, and syntax incorporating appeals to make the letter more interesting. Although the letter seems simple, it contains many details that explain the true feelings of the author towards the harsh circumstances during his stay in Iraq.