What Broke My Father's Heart

Rhetorical Analysis of Butler

"What Broke My Father's Heart"

Author: Kathy Butler

    In this essay, Butler's purpose is to educate the reader on the risks of having a pacemaker. The author
is making a strong argument against making quick decisions. In this essay, Butler states that her father in his right mind said, before he had a stroke, that he did not want a pacemaker. But, her father suffered a stroke and could no longer complete a sentence. When her father was referred to a specialist by his regular doctor, the specialist required her father to have a pacemaker put in. This would allow him to have surgery on his hernia. Making Butler's mother in charge of making this big decision for her husband. She was not fully educated on the implanting of the pacemaker and encouraged by the doctor to allow them to put the pacemaker in her husband. If Butler's mother were informed that he could have had a temporary pacemaker put in, their quality of life could have been different.
    In my opinion, the author proved her thesis well. She had a lot of facts and experienced watching her parents go through all this pain and suffering. Throughout this essay the author explains the poor quality of life her dad had after his pacemaker was put in; and the stress and health problems her mother suffered from taking care of Butler's father. The author's father ended up having dementia, he was never himself again. The pacemaker kept him alive, leaving him and his wife with this poor quality of life. It ended up being a relief to the family when the father finally past away. They had a hard time watching Butler's father deteriorate mentally but physically keep living. "Eighty percent of people who get a pacemaker are over 65 years old," I believe the author is trying to encourage people over 65 years of age to do  research before considering a pacemaker.
    This essay is intended for the elderly and people considering on getting a pacemaker. The authors tone is very sad at times. Her mother is so depressed, she knows the best thing to do is disable the pacemaker herself. The doctors refuse to disable the pacemaker because to them it was unethical.
    To me this essay is unique by the lesson learned. The father finally passed away after years of being confused. Butlers mother at the end of her days, when requested to have surgery, declined surgery. She had a do not resuscitate band on her ankle, the doctor refused to do surgery unless she was a full code. Butlers mother refused surgery. She knew what her and her husband went through, that was enough for her. She ended up with a semi quick death, while her husband was kept alive past his time.