The Santa Ana Winds obviously mean a lot to Didion and Thomas, which is why they view them as some kind of powerful force in nature. In The Santa Ana by Joan Didion, the wind is depicted as a force that robs people of happiness. This concept is highlighted when she states that “to live with Santa Anna is to accept.” . . a deeply mechanistic view of human behavior. In Brush Fire by Linda Thomas, it is described more as a normal power of nature. Her concept is highlighted when she talks about how the chaparral plant burns due to the winds but then returns in the spring, which symbolizes regrowth. Throughout their essays, both authors use diction as well as syntax to convince their potential audiences. First, the authors easily establish Ethos since they both lived in California at one point. This is certainly how they developed their different views on the Santa Ana winds. Didion believes that winds alter human society to some extent by causing unhappiness. She goes on to cite various comparisons to France, Israel, Switzerland and the Mediterranean, which also add to her Logos. The reason why winds make people unhappy is because they cause several problems such as headaches and allergies; in Los Angeles, some teachers are canceling classes out of fear of kids' behavior (which is clearly hyperbole). In Switzerland, suicide rates are increasing and no blood clots are occurring. Additionally, her purpose becomes clear when she states that "air carries an unusually high rate of positive ions [that]...". . . make people unhappy. " On the contrary, Thomas believes that winds are inherently part of a natural cycle since they help certain plants like chaparral since it "needs the heat of a flame to...... middle of paper ... ...the problems that people in Los Angeles face simply because of these winds, while Thomas' goal is to try to create a relatively good opinion of the winds among his audience, which is somewhat the opposite of Didion's goal. So all these developments of their messages can only be derived from syntax. In conclusion, Didion and Thomas use diction as well as syntax to convince their potential audiences in their respective articles. Didion seems to have a dim view of the winds while Thomas sees them as part of a natural cycle. Both deploy mostly similar rhetorical strategies to get their point across to the audience, which is obviously not Southern California. Most likely, they are trying to create an impact on Easterners and Europeans so that they are aware of the different conditions prevailing in this part of the world..