The Other F-Word

In Leonard Pitts, nonfiction essay,“The other F-word” he uses powerful diction, evidence, and personal experiences to suggest that women need to be proud of their feminist’s values.
He adopts a bold passionate tone in order for his mainly women audience to address the importance of this issue. Pitts opens his essay by powerful diction that makes the reader realize his passions on the subject. He starts by saying “I’m going to uses a word that offends folks. I’m talking the F-word. Feminist.” This lets the reader be taken back by
Pitts’s uses of powerful, bold diction, and it makes the reader sit up and listen. Pitts also relates the word feminist to a swear word. Which emphasizes the negative connation the word has been given. Pitts is indirectly telling his readers that they must take more pride in their feminist’s values. Pitts then moves to using personal experiences to support his claim. He opens by recalling an encounter with his daughter on when he asked her if she was a feminist. When he asked her she answered with a horrified no. He appeals to the audience by acknowledging that everyone does not really know what feminism is. Therefore, he makes his audience more willing to listen because now the reader does not feel defensive. Pitts closes with evidence to solidify his credibility. He begins by pulling evidence form Jessica Valenti that suggests: The I’m –not-a-feminist-but syndrome.” It defines women who say they are not feminist but then go on to express complete feminist values. It implies that the reader directly hopes for them to realize that they are feminist. Throughout his essay Pitts makes the reader become proud of their feminist values. He does this by his use of powerful diction, evidence, and personal experiences which turns out to be extremely