Well...

Evan Wolfson starts out his essay by defining the actual meaning of the word 'marriage.' He does this in order to give the reader a baseline off of which to work. If the reader has their own idea of marriage, then this essay would probably not be very effective. He starts right off the bat with saying, "Civil marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family." By giving this definition, he is able to use rhetorical strategies to have a better chance at convincing his readers of his own opinions. He goes on to talk about the role of marriage all over the world, how different cultures treat it differently, how it has changed over time. By giving the reader this sort of quick history of marriage, he is setting the stage for his own argument that the 'traditional' definition of marriage should be changed.