In one long paragraph (about one and a half pages), respond to and comment on Lee Dihel’s writing.  Try to interpret his writing.  Why do you think Mr. Dihel wrote it?  What is the real meaning of Mr. Dihel’s writing?  What is this writing?  Is it a letter (to whom?), or is it a prayer (for what purpose?)?  Do the errors in the writing make it less effective?  Does Mr. Dihel make you understand how he feels?  Can you feel his emotion in his writing?  Why or why not?  Was he really writing to his god, or was he trying to establish a connection with his dead wife?  Or was he writing simply to purge his own feelings of grief?  Or, perhaps, was he leaving a legacy for his daughter to find in the future?

In your paragraph, you must answer two basic questions:  Why did Lee Dihel write this letter/prayer, and who is his audience?  Make sure your paragraph is focused on one particular point; it should not be a list of several different reasons for the letter/prayer.  If you mention more than one reason, make sure that all the reasons are related to each other.  In other words, you must have a central idea for your paragraph, and you must express this idea in a clear, strong topic sentence. At the beginning of the paragraph, introduce the topic by telling the writer’s name and the circumstances of his writing.  Use examples to support your interpretation of the piece of writing; in other words, quote specific sentences or words that Mr. Dihel uses, and mention specific details in the letter/prayer.  Develop your discussion fully with discussion.  Don’t just make a statement and then stop; talk about it.

In order to write a strong exposition of Mr. Dihel’s letter/prayer, you must consider the relationship between his intended audience and his purpose in writing.  Think about all the aspects of Mr. Dihel’s writing situation.  For example, why did he choose to write instead of just thinking?  If he is writing to alleviate his grief, why did he not instead choose to talk to a friend?  Writing must have been difficult for him, since he had so little formal education.  And if he is writing to God to find faith in the midst of his sorrow, why did he write instead of simply praying silently?  If he believed in God, then he must have believed that God could hear his silent prayer.  So why write?  What does writing do that thinking or talking cannot do?  Also, why did Mr. Dihel choose to use such formal, archaic language?   How do people choose an appropriate style for communicating with an unknown audience?