Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Shania Valdivia

Professor Hammett

English 1302

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

1304

1 April 2023

Depression

Depression is one of the loneliest tragedies to happen to a person. Depression is a test on one’s mental and physical health. A person can reach out for help from those around them, but it will only do so much. For instance, a person can go to therapy for months and be in better shape than they were before, but it is up to them to push themselves to work hard during those months and even harder after the therapy is over. Take this for instance, The Zoo, a literate story written by Edward Albee talks strongly about a conversation between two men named Peter and Jerry who both live completely different lives manage to come together as one through the pain of loneliness, and hatred proves the author believed strength is needed to overcome depression.

Starting off, this story revolves around the characters Peter and Jerry. Like stated earlier these two men live completely different lives from one another. Peter is a more mellow man who has the “dream” life that includes, a wife, two daughters, and a nice house. On the other hand, Jerry is more of a man who is alone, and does not have much going for him. Throughout this story the audience learns about the conversation between these two men, strange conversation with anticipation on what happened at the zoo. Then as they become familiar with each other’s weird life stories, more and more details are brought out about Jerry constantly being alone and finding different things to fond over that are abnormal. The feeling of being isolated is a big symptom of depression. In order to overcome depression, the victim of this illness must be able to have people surrounding them to help them fight the battle alongside them. Without a good support system surrounding, it could make one feel alone. For instance, “but every once in a while I like to talk to somebody, really talk; like to get to know them” (Albee 2). Jerry drops a hint regarding him being alone with this sentence. Typically those who suffer depression feel a form of isolation and have no one to turn to. Some will wish to have people to reach out to, while others just need a deep conversation with someone to stay saine or just have that small grasp of hope. Likewise, “I don’t see why they need any explanation at all. Isn’t it clear? I don’t have pictures of anyone to put them in” (Albee 4). This is the second sign stating how Jerry is a lonely man. Typically, with picture frames anyone would at least have something to put pictures of in it it could even be an animal, but Jerry doesn’t even have that. Jerry has no one, no support system, and no team alongside him.

In a like matter, having no support system moves to the second symptom of depression. Emotionless. Being depressed causes the mindset to be damaged. The victim never feels like they are in the right mindset anymore. Their normal daily routines are ruined by lack of physical and mental energy. Their typical thought process is messed up from being overwhelmed and stressed. Not only that, but then the victim begins to feel numb to everything surrounding them that once brought them happiness, anger, sadness, and all the other emotions. Provided that, “Oh, your what? But that was a long time ago, and I have no feeling about any of if that I care to admit to myself” (Albee 5). Victims of depression will use the mental effect of “being numb” as their new defense mechanism. This mindset protects that person from gaining new feelings of new things or people to keep them protected from the feeling of pain in case that thing or person is taken away from them. Using personal strength one who is suffering depression must continue to allow themselves to have emotions to be able to express that pain and let it out. Those who bottle their emotions up for too long take a deeper tole to their mindset feeling 10x more alone and loose control with their emotions.

In addition to that, in this story it points out how Jerry begins sharing the weird intentions he has had recently. For example, “Oh, do I love the little ladies; I love them. For about an hour” (Albee 5). Depression messing with emotions can cause relationship issues. Being numb and not allowing themselves to have any new emotions or attachment to anything can cause commitment issues. Seconding that, “I loved that dog now, and I wanted him to love me. I had tried to love, and I had tried to kill, and both have been unsuccessful by themselves” (Albee 9). Jerry began an attachment with a dog he met in his apartment hallway. Jerry couldn’t handle people anymore, so he began a bond with a dog. “it’s just that if you can’t deal with people, you have to make a start somewhere. WITH ANIMALS” (Albee 9). Jerry then successfully developed a bond with the dog by making sure he was fed and spent his time in the hall with him. Then Jerry got afraid on the bond and attempted to kill the dog by poisoning one of the daily burgers he typically fed him. One Jerry learned the dog survived then he decided to love again knowing it was unsuccessful to kill the dog. With Jerry’s emotions being messed up from isolations and deaths surrounding him, he was afraid to love. Afraid to even love a simple creature, a dog. That is where the commitment issues chime into play. Like stated before, that is when the victim of this illness needs to allow themselves to have emotions and keep connections with people to keep themselves from landing on that road.

Moving forward with that, depression not only damages the thinking process, but it also damages the way the person treats others around. Like stated before, depression affects the thinking process which will then lead to the mentally ill to act against those around them in ways they typically wouldn’t act. For example, “Here we are. But … I don’t know … could I have planned all this? No … no, I couldn’t have” (Albee 13). What Jerry did in this story was sabotage Peter by forcing Peter into stabbing him without even thinking of what could have happened to Peter. Jerry wanted it to happen and did not care if Peter would get dragged down with Jerry. Just like with depression, those who are suffering depression will do actions like try and commit. What is not realized is that the one with the illness will no longer have the pain but those surrounding them who love and care for them will forever have that engraved in their brains. With one’s personal strength, instead of using their pain to damage people around them need to use it as a way of reconnecting and getting the help and support from the people who love and care for that person.

In conclusion, depression is a serious matter that needs every bit of strength from oneself to overcome. Depression can take a tole on a person in very many different ways bit after bit. Step after step. The only way to overcome the storm is to go through it. Without giving up, there is hope in finding the light again. Using the literate story, The Zoo, with two men who both live completely different lives come together as one through the pain of loneliness, and hatred shows the step-by-step process of the pain of depression and how important it is to keep moving forward.