Kayla Morrone
September 19th, 2012

Unfettered by guilt, she’s ready for checkout written by Rosie DiManno is an expository essay following the trial and sentence of the formerly known as Karla Leanne Teale. It discusses Karla’s actions, the damage they cause and whether or not she is genuinely guilt-ridden for what she’s done. I feel DiManno writes a well-crafted essay that stimulates an intellectual and emotional response to Karla’s trials. It lets audiences uncover the truth behind Karla Teale and whether or not she is deserving of a new life in Montreal. The author’s purpose in writing the essay encourages intellectual thoughts in order to form a basic opinion of Karla. She then reinforces the opinion through the use of tone, allowing a new emotional perspective. The language the author uses brings together the essay’s objective in reaching a final conclusion of Karla, one that is not admirable. It is difficult to imagine, from my point of view, that someone would defend Karla for the crimes she is convicted of. However, these people do exist and Rosie DiManno makes it her objective in this essay to show Karla’s true colours. She explains Karla’s actions, interprets and then criticizes them to allow the audience to realize Ms. Teale’s underlying intentions. I feel Rosie makes this point clear through her use of rhetorical questions to mock, ridicule and demonstrate Karla’s lack of sentiment. An example of this literary device is seen through the quotation “It’s Karla Leanne Teale who petitioned the warden at the Joliette Institution for escorted day passes, ostensibly designed to ease her gradually from prison to freedom before her mandatory release… Does that speak to the sentiments that might still exist in Karla’s treacherous heart?” (DiManno). I believe this use of a rhetorical question emphasizes the author’s point about how unremorseful Karla is. This rhetorical question is clearly conveyed and important to note since it prompts the basic opinion of Karla. This opinion is necessary to form because it enables readers to reach an emotional reaction from the tone that is used. As evident throughout the essay, the author takes on an aggressive tone. I felt it from the opening sentence of “She kept the name of the beast” (DiManno) to the closing sentence “The bitch might have walked” (DiManno). This use of tone is effective since it immediately evokes an emotional response from the audience. I think the author tries to establish emotion in the essay because it gives another layer to consider when discovering the true Karla Teale. Readers are able to follow the track of emotions that are displayed and maybe even develop their own. DiManno continues her aggressive tone by using verbal irony. The use of verbal irony creates the impression of an absence of sympathy from the author. The essay explains that Karla believes she has ‘misplaced guilt’ to which the author points out “And not once, in the hand-written application to the warden – the “i’s” dotted with tiny circles – does Karla say that she is sorry” (DiManno). The use of verbal irony is significant because it shows that even though Karla implies she feels guilty she is not honestly sorry for her crimes. The writer uses another example of verbal irony to back up her critical feelings towards Karla. DiManno analyzes a statement Ms. Teale makes regarding her old ways of supressing anger and how she now finds positive ways to express it. In context, the author implies that this ‘suppressed anger’ could not be present because anger was clearly shown when Karla the “procurer of girls for Paul” (DiManno) had taken part in the kidnapping and rape of a 15 year old girl named Kristen. This analysis only strengthens DiManno’s purpose, giving audiences more information on Karla. The language DiManno uses contributes to the overall impression about Karla in order to make a final opinion. From the essay, I get the impression that the language is more informal to allow a welcoming environment for the intellectual analysis of Karla. Throughout the writing, characteristics such as emotional overtones are seen through the author. It includes examples such as “I am stunned, dismayed, enraged” (DiManno) and “But mostly, now, I am so bloody grateful that Karla Homolka never put her own fate into the hands of a jury” (DiManno). I think this was an effective way of saving the author’s opinion of Karla until the end so that the audience can make their own decisions without too much influence. It also supports the essay being categorized as expository. There were two standout rhetorical devices that intensified DiManno’s idea of Karla. The first was an alliteration that made it clear she has no empathy for Ms. Teal whatsoever. “Poor, pitiful, pathetic Karla” (DiManno) has a teasing undertone while her hyperbole “The letters, oh the letters! … invitations to please write back, I wanna-be-your-pen-pal” (DiManno), exaggerates just enough for readers to understand how well she plays the role of the assaulted wife. DiManno uses very descriptive language to create dramatic and clear images as seen in the flashbacks. An example includes “She’s in touch with herself- and not in the way that was depicted on those gruesome videotapes, when Karla and Paul violated their victims, repeatedly, deliriously, with lip-smacking, finger-licking pleasure” (DiManno). These two devices along with the strong images help in convincing the reader that Karla is undeserving of a fresh start. Her crimes and lack of guilt score against her heavily. The final verdict is easy to conclude through the well written work of Rosie DiManno. In conclusion, Unfettered by guilt, she’s ready for checkout was a very interesting and effective essay to read. It allows the audience to uncover their own truths about Karla, seeing the final perspective of the author when she expresses her feeling of Karla’s sentence. It uses creative ways of journeying to the final conclusion though rhetorical questions, verbal irony, emotional overtones, imagery and rhetorical devices such as hyperboles and alliterations. This essay meets the criteria of an expository essay. It presents information to the general audience of Karla, her crimes and her attempts at retribution using well supported ideas for strong arguments. DiManno presents personal pronouns at the ending to not mask it as a personal essay. Finally, there is a truth behind the piece; Karla should not have the chance at starting fresh for she is far too guilty and guiltless.