TOW #6 "The Lonely Death of George Bell" N. R. Kleinfield

         In the, "The Lonely Death of George Bell," N. R. Kleinfield uses a recount of the death of a New York man by the name of George Bell to reveal that only death can truly tell the secrets that went unknown in an individual's life. The author,  N. R. Kleinfield, gave a very unique perspective, as he has written for The Times since 1977, and is an avid member of the Metro department's investigation team. His high-level knowledge of the subject shone through, as well as his obvious talent and experience as a writer. In his piece, he describes the events before and after Bell's death, and in doing so reveals a message that goes far beyond the realm of traditional journalism. He uses his ability to accurately report to prove that while death is relatively easy to measure, on the contrary, measuring life is much more complicated.
        Through the use of anecdotes, imagery, and statements from other professionals alongside those who knew Bell, Kleinfeild was able to masterfully achieve his purpose, and teach his audience about how the events after one dies are a direct result of the way that one lived their life. He shows the importance of companionship, through anecdotes of friends Bell kept, as well as imagery to show the detrimental effects that mental illness can have on someone. He uses a vivid image of Bell's apartment to demonstrate this, and make his purpose resonate with the audience, "Hoarding is deemed a mental disorder... Amid the mess were a half-dozen unopened ironing board covers, multiple packages of unused Christmas lights, four new tire-pressure gauges," (Kleinfeld, pg. 1). This mixed with the testimonies of people who knew Bell before his mental disorder consumed his apartment, and his life, say something incredibly powerful. By employing these rhetorical devices, the author is able to achieve his purpose, and show that much of a person's life is revealed only after their death. I really enjoyed this piece, as it was insightful, well-written, and communicated a fresh and unique perspective.

I accessed this article The NY Times website: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/nyregion/dying-alone-in-new-york-city.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

The following image was included in the article, and was taken shortly after Bell was found dead in his apartment.