Analysis of Writing Situation

In an article from the North County Times newspaper, by Teri Figueroa, I found out about a very strange and sad situation that had happened in my home town, San Marcos, California. Jo Purdy, an 84 year-old woman took her own life and her husband was there by her side the whole time. Her husband, Alan Purdy, was accused of helping his wife commit suicide, and helping someone to commit suicide is considered a felony in the state of California. Alan explained that he never helped her perform the suicide and that he did not touch anything. He was simply there for her through her time of great struggle and suffrage. Jo Purdy had been diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease called Sjogren's syndrome. According to Alan, Jo had made up her mind about taking her own life because of how badly she was suffering, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Even Jo's children knew about it and tried to talk her out of it, but there was no getting through to her. Once Jo successfully committed suicide the San Diego Police Department arrived at Alan's front door for questioning. That night he ended up in jail for "helping" his wife commit suicide. August 23rd he found out that there would be no case.

A great view of San Marcos, California. Source:Wikimedia

 I think that there are multiple purposes for Figueroa to write about Alan Purdy's story. First, I think her main purpose of writing this article is to educate the locals of North County of what is going on in their neighborhood. This would be her ultimate goal because of the fact that she writes for a newspaper, and newspaper articles tend to be about shocking happenings in a local area. Lastly, another purpose for Figueroa to write about the tragedy of the Purdy couple is to shine a light on a controversial issue. Alan Purdy believed that it was his wife's right to take her own life, and because he supported her he was put behind bars. People should always know what is going on in their neighborhood. The writer's purpose is mostly shaped by passion, hopefully. I would think that most journalists enjoy their job. But her purpose could also be shaped by her colleagues or editor. Figueroa's intended audience would most likely be the residents of San Marcos and the cities nearby. Anyone who is interested in California state laws also might want to read this article which would make them an intended audience as well. In order for Figueroa to get all the information necessary to write this article she interviewed Alan Purdy and the Sheriff's department. She used many quotes by Alan Purdy and she explained what was said by both Alan and the Sheriff's department. Figueroa used emphatic paragraphs to make the article easier to follow. She also used an image of the Purdy couple to give the audience an idea of what they look like and what their age was. I was interested in this article because I am from San Marcos. I am absolutely shocked that things like this can happen so close to home. It seems like you hear about stories like this one and they happen in random places. San Marcos also seems so boring to me and nothing serious ever really happens. It kind of freaks me out that Alan Purdy would be able to sit and watch his wife take her own life. I definitely think that he might have some psychological issues which probably began once his wife was diagnosed with what seemed to be such an unbearable disease.