“…she wasn’t covered by any insurance at all half the time, since the Vineses aren’t poor enough for subsidized health care and the Blue Cross gap insurance maxes out at six months a year.“

This claim is an ethical/moral claim as it judges the Blue Cross insurance policy for not helping the Vineses. It subtly shades the insurance provider for their unhelpful policy which could be used in this scenario to save lives. If it wasn’t for ethics being involved, this could also be noted as an evaluative claim, because it assesses a situation and makes a judgement off of it.

“Certainly she seems better than some other PTSD vets’ kids Brannan knows, who scream and sob and rock back and forth at the sound of a single loud noise, or who try to commit suicide even before they’re out of middle school.“

This is a comparative claim due to the fact that it compares Brennan’s daughter to other children also experiencing PTSD. It takes two sides of a situation, and labels one better than the other. This can evoke a way to understand how Brennan’s daughter is dealing with her situation, by comparing it to a situation that is not as good.

“Brannan is a force of keeping her family together.“

This is a definition claim because it states a basis that describes Brennan. It labels her and defines what she does. This claim can give Brennan credibility, and give the reader insight on her goals.