Language

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Choice of words

The author uses several descriptive adjectives and adverbs that present a positive view of body image and fat bodies, in line with the topic she approaches: “seemingly harmless chubby or cuddly” (l. 5), “sophisticated voluptuous or curvaceous” (l. 5), “pretty pink tutu” (l. 34), “glorious fourfour” (l. 39), “defiant fat women in flowery swimming caps” (l. 72), etc. Such descriptions…

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Sentence structure

The speech is constructed using a combination of short and longer sentences which make it sound more dynamic and help Drinkwater to keep the audience focused. Short sentences deliver brief arguments, facts or reinforce images and ideas: “Let’s not sugarcoat it. I am the capital F-A-T kind of fat. I am the elephant in the room.” (l. 7).

Longer sentences help…

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Tone

Kelli Jean Drinkwater’s tone in the article is generally humorous and unapologetic. She often jokes about herself or the audience and relaxes the atmosphere: “You may have wondered, consciously or not, if I have diabetes, or a partner, or if I eat carbs after 7pm. (Laughter)” (ll. 14-15); “The impact of seeing a bunch of defiant fat women in flowery swimming caps and bathers throwing their legs in the air without a care should not be underestimated. (Laughter)” (ll. 72-73). A humorous tone is often a useful tool to engage the audience and make a topic more appealing.

However, there are also instances whe…

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Anecdotes

Personal stories help Drinkwater encourage her audience to understand her background and to make the topic she explores familiar and relatable. These personal stories become anecdotes because each one has a morale behind it.

For example, she talks about being fat as a child and succeeding in performing ballet  anyway:

So when I was six years old, my sister used to teach ballet to a bunch of little girls in our garage. I was about a foot taller and…