Final answer:
The use of first-person accounts in an article about September 11th serves to add emotional depth and personal perspectives, making the historical facts more relatable and engaging the reader's emotional concerns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author’s use of first-person accounts of September 11th adds emotional depth and personal perspectives to the overall purpose of the article. Unlike an objective stance that relies on neutral, unemotional language, first-person narratives incorporate the writer’s feelings, experiences, and personal reactions, resulting in a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of the events described. By doing so, the author engages the reader on an emotional level, often appealing to the readers' sense of empathy, justice, or patriotism. This technique can help convey the impact of the events on individuals, making abstract statistics and historical facts more relatable to the audience.
The inclusion of first-person accounts is a strategic choice that goes beyond presenting factual evidence, such as statistics or objective analysis. Instead, it invites readers to view the subject matter through another’s eyes, thereby creating a more immersive and potentially persuasive narrative. This approach can be particularly effective when seeking to engage an audience’s emotional concerns or when attempting to rally readers to take a particular position based on the emotional gravity of the personal stories shared.