Non-fiction Critical Analysis

In "Marriage for All?" by Patricia Smith, the author want to convince readers that same-sex marriage should be allowed because of the shifting opinions from the public. One thing the author does is by comparing statistics concerning same-sex marriage; for example, same sex was legal in only 17 states a year ago but now is legal in 36 states out of 50, and a 2014 Gallup poll showing 55 percent of Americans favor gay marriage.  She also include different perspectives from the public. TV shows like Ellen, Will & Grace, and Modern Family all feature gay couples. She also says even athletes like Jason Collins of the Brooklyn Nets and Michael Same announced to the public their sexual preference. Lastly, the author includes the opinion coming from a professional person from Harvard which provides more credibility. She says, " Harvard law professor Lawrence Tribe wonders if the justices might avoid deciding whether gay marriage must be allowed everywhere by simply requiring states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states." This indicates the Supreme Court might not base their final decision on what each state government suggests, but on what the public really believes since the time is shifting.

Patricia Smith wants to convince readers that gay-marriage should be allowed because people believe in different things now. One way she achieves her goal is by intentionally including a map of states that shows the number of states same-sex marriage is legal in. The map shows same-sex marriage is legal in 36 out of 50 states in 2015 comparing to 17 states out of 50 in 2014, which means more than half of the country accepts gay marriage. By doing this, the author is reminding the audience that a majority of people in the country has positive opinions or has shift opinions on gay marriage. Another way the author achieves her goal is by using titles like "Marriage for all?" and "Shifting Attitudes". This makes the reader think marriage has no true definition and is a right guaranteed for everyone, not matter if they are female or male. Therefore the author achieves her goal by using different crafts to convince readers what she thinks about the issue.

After reading this article, I think the Supreme Court should insist all 50 states to allow same-sex marriage. I think it is not up to others to say which gender people should marry because of some traditional beliefs. It is up to one to decide who they want to marry and remain together for the rest of their lives.