Vignesh Venkataramani

Professor R. E. Fulton
UWTR 150
7 October 2016
Does Filetti Have the Moves?
In the article From Lizzie Borden to Lorena Bobbitt: Violent Women and
Gender Justice by Jean S. Filetti she talks about two specific instances of
murder and violence committed my women. She has a unique way of
analyzing both cases and draws a lot from contemporary sources. She makes
structured and logical arguments. Filetti uses moves throughout the article to
keep the readers enticed. Her peculiar style is intriguing and leaves the
readers wanting more. In this essay, I will highlight some of the rhetorical
moves made by the author and explain, using examples, wat effect they
have on the reader. Id like to analyze how her writing satisfies the ethos and
the pathos of the readers.
I feel the beginning of the article is very hooking. She uses a very
unorthodox way of staring an article, with verse. It reads Lizzie Borden took
an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had
done, she gave her father forty-one (Filetti 471). This intrigues the reader. It
is rear to start an article with a song. She does this to pique the interest if

the readers. She goes on to give another verse Come and listen to my story
bout a man named John
A poor ex-marine with a little fraction gone. It seems one night after getting
with his wife She lopped off his dong with the swipe of a knife. Penis, that is.
Clean cut. Missed the nuts (Filetti 471). Filetti uses this sort of evidence
question type of writing. She forwards excerpts from relevant writings and
poses a question, sort of to provoke thought in the readers. She asks Why
did the case spark so much interest at the time? Why did throngs of people
literally block the street gawking at the Borden residence? Why did the
countrys leading newspaper devour and report the daily happenings in this
small New England town? Why, a century later, are whodunit? novels,
plays, and films still being made about this gruesome double murder? (Filetti
2). She presents the readers with a barrage of questions and later goes on to
give her opinion and explain the situation and the forces working behind the
scenes. I feel this is one of the most effective moves used by Filetti in her
article. It keeps the readers engaged and lets the readers from their own
opinion while reading the article.
Another move Filetti is fond of is forwarding. It is the most common move
she has used in this article. She as forwarded in many ways. The readers see
a lot of intertextuality in this article. Examining the Borden case, Ann Jones,
in Women Who Kill, describes the trial of Lizzie Borden as the ritual
reenactment of a very old legend: the embarrassingly trite tale of the damsel
in distress. (Filetti 473). In her article Filetti cites a range of other texts.

She uses these sources to critically analyze the murders and form informed
opinions. This allows the readers to see how thought process and how it
compares to ones own.
The organization and structure is also a strong point for this article. It kicks
off with a brief description of its focus, the extensive focus on two murders
committed almost 3 decades back in a small town. It then expands on the
issue and describes it in detail. Following that, it quotes a very credible
source to further establish the issue and also to enlist some very specific
instances. It doesnt stop there. It moves on to also getting some comments
from the opposing side. The conclusion of the article serves as a summary
of sorts since it enlists the viewpoints of the two sides and comments on the
issue in general. It also serves to set the readers minds racing by asking
them questions. I think that the structure of the article is very cohesive and
makes the reading more fluid and meaningful.
After having looked at all these moves and their effects, let us assess their
effectiveness. Has the author achieved her goal in this article? If you ask
me, Id say that she has. After reading the article, I felt informed about this
issue. While it is true that I dont have a deep understanding of the
arguments, I do know why they support it and what their focus is. I feel that
the author has remained true to her focus and has written a news-like article
about a very relevant and crucial issue.