Is a Tree Worth a Life?

In the essay “Is a Tree Worth a Life?” by Sally Thane Christensen, the author tells her story of ovarian cancer and a new drug that can potentially save her life. She uses very strong language to try and make the reader side with her. Christensen’s use of this is very effective because she really makes the audience feel her pain and sympathize with her. The author starts out by explaining the Pacific yew …

…the reader sympathize with her. She knows that her audience has children and it makes them imagine having cancer and what their kids would feel like. This use of language really grabs the reader and makes them think. Overall, I think that this essay worked because of the sympathy that the reader feels for the writer. She gets your attention and keeps it. And she really makes you think, “Is a tree worth a life?”