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Summary Of A Planet For The Taking By David Suzuki

Decent Essays

David Suzuki's A Planet for the Taking In the essay "A Planet for the Taking," David Suzuki describes Canadians' odd appreciation for this great natural bounty we call our own. He is an internationally acclaimed scientist who is concerned about the welfare of Canada. Suzuki's intended audience is the Canadian population that does not realize the grave danger they are instilling upon themselves by haphazardly taking our resources without looking at the subsequent repercussions of their actions. The essay is persuasive and informative. He compares various facets of science and gives reasons why none of these fields can explain why we are destroying nature. The organization of the essay supports the author's views well. It begins …show more content…

"We need a very profound perceptual shift and soon." This is Suzuki's closing sentence for the essay. His suggestion for a change in people's perceptions is clear and direct, leaving no room for misinterpretation; he does this consistently throughout the essay. Discussing the topic with such seriousness makes it an effective, persuasive essay. The essay does not contain much powerful, descriptive imagery but Suzuki's powerful examples serve the same purpose. Supplying the reader with examples to support his arguments is a valuable means of persuading the reader. By giving examples, the audience can relate to the topic and see what they have done to nature. Examples of the various types of sciences also help the audience to relate. Suzuki provides the reader with examples of the shortcomings of all the fields of science, helping to make the reader second- guess science. Some powerful images he does use, however, are present when he describes the terminology that society uses for plants and animals, "We speak of ‘herds' of seals, of ‘culling' ‘harvesting,' ‘stocks.'" These images support the theme of the essay because they show the way that humankind has taken over nature and how we feel as if we can control everything. It makes it seem as if we do not care about the environment; we are merely concerned with making more and more money. Imagery, when used successfully, can support the aims of the essay and create more

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