Danica Woo

Professor Christen Enos

First- Year Writing

21 January 2017

Open Letter: a letter intended to be read by many people, not just the person it is addressed to.

The intended audiences are both people going through the same situation as she is and also to no

one or to her ex -over. Open letters are like private letters that express deep personal feelings but

that are then publish anonymously online. Open letters especially those containing subjects

about love and emotions can actually act as a therapy to help cope with feelings they have inside

of them. I think this woman wrote this letter in order to get her feelings off her chest and write

out in words how she felt and how she feels now that she has looked back on the situation.

Really she didnt write it to anyone and I dont think she even cares if anyone writes it she wrote

it mostly for herself and the fact that it does get published and put out there cements or realizes

her feelings and regrets or guilt. Maybe she wrote it for her ex-lover but because it is on an

obscure website without her name on it I am led to believe that it could be for anyone who has

experienced what her ex or herself has experienced. I expect that this letter was the first or only

glimpse into her guilt and regrets that she has given anyone and instead of admitting her wrong-

doing to a select person which can make the situation feel very personal and possibly violating

by letting someone else she knows into her personal life. By being able to publish her thoughts

to the masses and to no one in particular she is able to freely express her feelings without feeling

looked down upon or judged by another person. Thats also why I believe this letter is really for

herself and not as much meant to make a difference in someone elses life. Open letters can be
used in that way if they are anonymously published. Its a way to let go of secrets or locked

away feelings in a way that is non invasive.

The content of the letter is based upon the phrase once a cheater, always a cheater. She uses

this letter to tell the world that she will not be a cheater anymore. She learned from her mistake

and lived through the pain ad loss her actions caused. She joins the larger conversation about

self-empowerment and the ability to overcome and reflect on a painful part of your life. While

not everyone reading this may have been in the same position as her, many people have made

mistakes in their lives and find it inspiring or can connect with her letter and how she took

responsibility and learned from the experience. Her letter could help her audience by allowing

them to see how she realized she made a mistake and took responsibility and do the same in their

own life.

In this letter the author while cheated on her significant other a long time ago has finally come to

terms with what she did. This letter was a reaction to an event in her life but not her actual act of

cheating but rather the moment she had finally come to terms and felt ready enough to let go of

the man and to finally put it behind her.

The author uses pathos in her writing in order to make the author feel and understand what she

went through. She describes how she felt worthless that day he texted her. She talks about her

guilt and how she ruined what they had and how it was her fault. While I dont think she wrote

this piece in order to make anyone agree with her or take her side in what happened but rather

wrote it to connect with people who went thorugh the same situation or similar situations she did.

The author also uses ethos as she describes her situation because it happened to her directly. She

experienced the pain and the lessons from cheating on her s/o and you could say she is well
versed in that area of emotions or situation. Because the letter is so personal, she has the ablity

to connect directly with the readers as opposed to someone writing about the situation from an

observers point of view.

Because the document is a letter, it has a more casual tone without paragraph breaks or indents.

It is not a formal piece of writing however, it matches the tone and subject matter of the content.

The letter is essentially a woman pooring her feelings onto paper and releasing all her emotions

and ties to her ex and their past. The body of the text is continuous as she releases her feelings

then finally is at peace with herself at the end and turns the page.

I think this document also speaks to the larger idea that people are using online resources and

publications as a form of therapy or getting in touch with their feelings. The ability to post

something anonymously has an appeal for people who dont what to talk to a therapist or friend

or peer about something so deeply personal. The rise in blogging and self-publication has

brought the ability and courage to people who feel silenced by their own thoughts or feelings. I

think the idea of knowing someone will read your piece but also no knowing who or when can be

comforting and can work as an alternative to talking about it with another person.

In the article, the author included a grey and white picture of a man in a suit and a pink lip

tracing on the shoulder. The lip print is often seen as a symbol of femininity and feminine power

and I think this picture enhances the theme of the author overcoming her label of a cheater and

empowers her to move on from her guilt and the past relationship. The grey in the picture

indicated old or past times and then the bright pink lip tracing offers a contrast and pop of color.