Close Reading: The Last Right

     In The Last Right: Why America Is Moving Slowly on Assisted Suicide, by Ross Douthat, the issue of committing doctor assisted suicide is examined. This topic has resurfaced in the news most recently with the Brittany Maynard story. This New York Times columnist uses diction, syntax, and details to effectively communicate his message to his readers. 
     Douthat uses diction throughout the article to establish a strong retort to this timely news. In paragraph one we read, "lethal prescription and die by suicide" (Douthat). The next section consists of the descriptive words such as suffering, terminal, pain, and suicide. In the third paragraph, Douthat writes, "The tragedy... a striking fact." The use of these words creates a sense of fear. In paragraph six, the word "fiercely" is used. These are a handful of Douthat's conscious word choices in his piece. 
     Another exceptional technique used by Douthat is the skillful use of syntax. From the beginning, we are educated on Brittany Maynard's story. This makes the article extremely  personable and relative to many. In paragraph three we are asked questions such as, "Why, in a society where individualism seems to be carrying the day, is the right that Maynard intends to exercise still confined to just a handful of states?" or "Why has assisted suicide’s advance been slow, when on other social issues the landscape has shifted dramatically in a libertarian direction?" These questions are thought-provoking and allow the reader an opportunity to contemplate what they will read in the upcoming paragraphs. The second half of the article presents legislative and political influences around assisted suicide.
    Douthat includes a multitude of details to inform us as readers on the history of doctor assisted suicide. He references that the "Supreme Court, which in 1997 ruled 9 to 0 that the Constitution does not include a right to suicide. (Douthat). We are additionally given the opportunity to reference an article posted that advocates for doctor assisted suicide.  Conservatives and liberal viewpoints are shared as well. Douthat writes that, 
"Many liberals seem considerably more uncomfortable with the idea of physician-assisted suicide than with other causes, from abortion to homosexuality, where claims about personal autonomy and liberty are at stake." to illustrate their side. For the opposition he states, "Conservatives oppose assisted suicide more fiercely." With these perspectives, we are able to make our own conclusions. 
     Throught this piece we are given an abundance of information on euthanasia. Ross Douthat provides us as readers with an abundance of evidence, allowing us to make our own choice. He effectively uses different types of rhetoric to convey the issue of doctor assisted suicide.