Close Reading #5 - Frank Bruni

Read it here!

Frank Bruni's article "One Country's Big Gay Leap" talks about the legalization of same-sex marriage in Portugal, other countries that have legalized same-sex marriage, and why or why not countries are able to do so. He uses diction and detail to create for the reader an idea of what is happening in Portugal and to enforce the idea that the United States should follow in Portugal's footsteps.
Throughout the piece, Bruni uses interesting choices in diction to give an accurate idea of the state of affairs in Portugal and the other countries which have recently legalized gay marriage. He uses certain sensory words in places where they are not commonly found. For example, he writes that he had a "potent case of Portugal envy". The use of the word "potent" is an interesting choice because it is usually used to describe a stong, powerful smell and is instead used to describe envy, a feeling. The use of this word enhances Bruni's envy, making it seem like something palpable and not just an abstract emotion. Of course, his envy is of the great strides Portugal has made toward equality, that the United States has not. He does this in other places to create a stong sense of the positive atmosphere about same-sex marriage in Portugal.
His use of detail is also important in giving the reader an idea of what is going on in Portugal. He begins the essay with a detail about Brenda Frota Johnson and Isabel Advirta, whose family seems to accept their relationship now that they are officially married. Other details like this, including a similar one about Sara and Rita Martinho, demonstrate the positive ways in which the legalization of gay marriage has affected Portugal and its citizens.
By using detail and diction to show just how good the legalization of same-sex marriage has been for Portugal and the other countries that have recently passed similar legislation, Bruni argues that America should do the same. While he acknowledges the differences between our country and theirs, he asks whether it "might be possible for President Obama... to take a lead on the issue" and that he might find out "that it wouldn't make or break him".