Final answer:
The author aims to persuade the audience to buy stuffed bunnies instead of real ones to reduce the number of animals ending up in shelters, engaging the audience through an ethical appeal and resolving the conflict presented.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author's purpose can generally be defined as their reason for writing, which can include to persuade, to inform, to entertain, to describe, or to explain. In the context provided, the author's purpose appears to be persuasive. The author wants the audience to consider buying stuffed bunnies instead of real baby bunnies as Easter gifts to prevent the animals from ending up in shelters. This is an example of an argument with a clear thesis that suggests a specific action for the reader to take, typically found at the end of an introduction or start of a conclusion in persuasive writing.
Understanding the audience is crucial. In this case, the audience likely includes parents and potential bunny buyers. The author uses the narrative to engage this target audience and appeal to their sense of empathy towards animals, reinforcing the persuasive element of the writing.
Lastly, narratives and their themes are often shaped by conflict. Although not explicitly detailed, the conflict here is the ethical dilemma of buying live bunnies that end up in shelters. The resolution proposed—purchasing stuffed animals—is the author's solution to this conflict.