Expository texts often present powerful social issues which challenge the reader. Suicide is a sin to talk about in today's society. Yet it is one of the fastest killing diseases taking many lives each week. Bronwyn Donaghy has put together a factual informative expository text titled Leaving Early to inform the reader about the issue of suicide. Techniques such as facts, Statistics, case studies and interviews have been strategically combined to shock and inform the reader about this serious social issue.
Over a long period of time Donaghy has collected information about three different young individuals, who were faced with the unexplainable condition of suicide. Donaghy has selected the most important information case these three case studies and has presented them to the reader to show how real and life changing the strong social issue of suicide can be. Donaghy presents these people in such a way that it makes the reader feel as if they are part of the family or close nit community. The result of this technique positions the reader to feel sympathetic towards the people involved in the text. Jan, Collins mother says "We were just so blessed! First a girl and then this beautiful little boy". This makes the reader realize that Collin came from a loving and well structured family, and it is not just abused kids that commit suicide. Jan Schultz comments in the interview that Donaghy had with her that once Collin commited suicide:.
" I was so angry with Collin. I had given him so much love, I had spent so much more time on him than I had on the others. I had worked so hard to get him the extra things he seemed to need. He had betrayed me.".
The case studies and the response from the victims loved ones persuades the reader to feel guilt and sympathy towards collin. And further more makes the reader fell as if they once new the people in the text. This powerful technique Donaghy has used helps the reader see how real and potentially dangerous suicide is to everyone.