TOW #9: Everything Comes to an End

     Death can be viewed as a horrible concept as many people have experienced unbearable effects from it. Following the death of a loved one can bring depression, anger and even the desire to see them just one more time. Eva Gabrielsson, the partner of Stieg Larson, got her wish but in a unique way. Stieg Larson, the author of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," passed away on November 9th, 2004 but wrote a letter in 1977 to Gabrielsson when he was 22 years old: just before his trip to Africa. This letter was marked "To be opened only after my death," which is exactly what happened when Eva read it for the first time in front of a crowd at Larson's funeral. In Larson's letter, he uses anaphora and the appeal to logos in order to convince Gabrielsson that death is a natural occurrence and that there is no reason to suffer because he is now gone.
     Repetition can be looked at as rather mundane, but Larson uses it in an effective way. He wants to confess his undying love to Gabrielsson by saying, "I want you to know that I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. I want you to know I mean that seriously. I want you to remember me but not grieve for me." The repetition of "I want you" is such an important line in his letter. He is expressing his dying wish and showing that he believes that even though they were in love, there is no reason for his death to completely destroy her life. Also, his appeal to logos can help convince Gabrielsson that death is natural and nothing to be horribly upset about. He introduces the idea by saying, "the stars die, the galaxies die, the planets die. And people die too." By describing the world around him and by explaining that it is completely okay that he died, Gabrielsson is more likely to realize that his death is an ordinary event.
     Originally, his letter was directly addressed to his Eva, but this was before Larson become a successful author. If he were to write this later in his life after his book became a best-seller, he would most likely have written to the public because his life would not have been as private. I completely believe that he achieved his purpose because his letter definitely made me realize that even though death can be extremely heart-wrenching, it is just the way of life.