John M Barry Rhetorical Analysis Essay

In his nonfiction text, The Great Influenza, John M. Barry explains that scientific research is an uncertain process. Barry supports this explanation by using rhetorical strategies such as repetition and a metaphor. Barry’s purpose is to prove scientific research is a confident process that allows one to be courageous on the side of uncertainty. Barry uses formal tone with his audience that goes beyond researchers.

In John M. Barry’s “The Great Influenza” he states, “All real scientists exist on the frontier”(Barry 23). During the 1918 influenza epidemic Barry wrote “The Great Influenza” to describe the research that was happening revolving influenza. He describes different characteristic the scientist had to have researching the flu. He recognized the challenges that came with it. He also believes that if you are a scientist that you must be courageous to accept the uncertainty that comes with the job. “The Great Influenza” written by John M. Barry utilizes metaphors and descriptive diction to analyze the characteristics regarding scientist.

In characterizing scientific research, Barry chooses specific diction that has strong connotations so as to create the greatest effect by contrasting them. His juxtaposition of the words “certainty” and “uncertainty” serve a twofold purpose in the context of this piece. The first is to emphasize the fearfulness and timidity associated with uncertainty. Secondly, it serves to exhibit

Attention Getting Device: John Barry, in his writing The Great Influenza, he states, “To be a scientist requires not only intelligence and curiosity, but passion, patience, creativity, self-sufficiency, and courage. It is not the courage to venture into the unknown. It is the courage to accept — indeed, embrace — uncertainty.” (Barry 2). During all eras of time, scientists have endured enormous amounts of adversity. Scientists have to maintain a wide variety of skills in several different are to assist them in different circumstances that they endure. Scientists must have persistence due to their main activity being trial and error. This meaning that once they have failed, they most certainly have to being willing to try it again. A scientist also must posses acceptance, as there will be times when they receive results that are not their predictions. Scientist must obtain acceptance to come to terms with the results found in their laboratory. In John Barry’s The Great Influenza, he utilizes metonymy and rhetorical questioning to characterize scientific research.

Attention Getting Device: John Barry, in his writing, The Great Influenza, he states, “To be a scientist requires not only intelligence and curiosity, but passion, patience, creativity, self-sufficiency, and courage. It is not the courage to venture into the unknown. It is the courage to accept — indeed, embrace — uncertainty” (Barry 2). During all eras of time, scientists have endured enormous amounts of adversity. Scientists have had to maintain a wide variety of skills in several different areas to assist them in different circumstances that they endure. Scientists must have persistence, due to their main activity being trial and error. This means that once they have failed, they most certainly have to be willing to try it again. A scientist also must posses acceptance, as there will be times when they receive results that are not their predictions. Scientist must obtain acceptance to come to terms with the results found in their laboratory. In John Barry’s The Great Influenza, he utilizes metonymy and rhetorical questioning to characterize scientific research.

Brilliant author, John M. Barry, once proclaimed, “Uncertainty makes one tentative if not fearful, and tentative steps, even when in the right direction, may not overcome significant obstacles… It is the courage to accept—indeed, embrace—uncertainty” (Barry 3-5 & 9-10). These quotes can be traced back to John M. Barry’s passage of “The Great Influenza,” where he writes an account about the 1918 flu epidemic that struck the world. In his account, he goes into further explanation about the rigors and fulfillment of being a scientist, and simultaneously, discusses the tedious process of their research. Ultimately, society is educated that the life of a scientist should not be absolute, but it should consist of persistence and courage. In John M. Barry’s “The Great Influenza,” the author employs innovative metaphors and unique rhetorical questions to portray scientific research.

Upon a visit to Mr. Irwine’s abode in Chapter 5 of Adam Bede, George Eliot’s audience encounters a seemingly trivial interaction between Captain Arthur Donnithorne and his godmother, Mrs. Irwine. The chapter’s title being “The Rector,” one does not necessarily expect to find much significance in Arthur’s brief discussion with his godmother, and, when compared to Arthur’s exchanges with Mr. Irwine and Hetty Sorrel in the same chapter, their conversation can even border on forgettable; however, it is in this brief interaction that Eliot’s audience catches a glimpse of one of the text’s scarce interactions between upper-class individuals, the interaction itself absolutely doused in rhetorical devices which ultimately undermine the upper-class characters in the scene, revealing their hypocrisy and their inability to properly articulate the world they live in. This is accomplished through Eliot’s use of irony in the contradictory nature of Mrs. Irwine’s paradoxical

In the essay, “What You Eat is Your Business”, Radley Balko writes to tell his audience about how the government is trying to control people’s health and eating habits by restricting food, taxing high calorie food, and considering menu labeling. Balko includes in his essay that government restricting diets and having socialist insurance is not helping the obesity problem, but it is only making it worse because it not allowing people to take their health in to their own hands so they have no drive to lose weight or eat healthy. In his essay, Balko is targeting society, including those who may be obese, he is trying to show them that the laws our

Determined journalists, travelers, and people of other professions believe in exploring the natural world, conducting research, and performing experimental errors. Scientists, especially, will often embrace their passions with certainty that they will discover something worthwhile, ignoring the challenges they may come across. In “The Great Influenza” by John M. Barry, he describes these scientists with the utmost respect. Barry characterizes scientific research as a devoted activity where it is crucial to embrace uncertainty in order to yield solutions; this outlook is seen through his subtle figurative language, specifically, allusions along with the direct characterization of the qualities that successful scientists must hold, and comparisons.

A college education is valuable and its quality is of the highest importance to most Americans. In his essay, “On the Uses of a Liberal Education: As Lite Entertainment for Bored College Students,” Mark Edmundson utilizes ethos, pathos, and logos to effectively deliver his argument that the current educational system, especially in college, revolves around consumerism which in turn has negatively impacted students, teachers, and universities in general. However, although Edmundson presents an overall logically sound argument, there are few instances throughout the article that may hinder the reliability of his claims to the audience.

In lines 3-5, Barry states, “Uncertainty creates weaknesses. Uncertainty makes one tentative...significant obstacles.” The unconfident feeling that results from doubt prevents scientists from succeeding because they are tentative about which steps to take. They fear that if they take the wrong path, they will not find the explanation to their scientific questions. In lines 8-10, Barry then highlights the trait that scientists must possess when they face the unknown. “It is not the courage to venture into the unknown. It is the courage to accept - indeed, embrace - uncertainty.” The use of conduplicatio in this statement stresses the role of courage within a scientist. Courage serves as the most important trait because it allows scientists to progress further without full knowledge of the possible

Throughout the passage, Barry alludes to multiple famous scientists. He references the famous French physiologist Claude Bernard, and includes Bernard’s quote that “Science teaches us to doubt”. Barry does so to give himself

John M. Barry, the author of The Great Influenza, writes about scientists and the obstacles they face. He claims that scientists are explorers in the wilderness that is science. There is no charted path to go down and no one to follow. Scientists will always be uncertain, however scientists should possess certain characteristics to overcome the doubt. He appeals to our emotions to explain the necessary characteristics a scientist has to posses. John M. Barry uses anaphoras, motifs, and pathos in his definition of what scientists do.

Discovery is humanity’s most subjective form of human progression. Discovery is not validation of man’s evolution, but a testament to man’s ignorance and limitations. From the “discovery” of the new world to the “discovery” of the Earth being spherical, the achievements in discovery mask the reality of man’s flaws in relation to nature. Concurrently, in science and in medicine, discovery has seemingly lost its subjectivity because due to the scientific method, discovery is not merely coincidence, but logical inevitabilities. However, the crux of the argument is that research practices predetermine a favorable outcome, not an objective conclusion. The subjectification of outcomes through “scientific” means is exemplified in the modern-day science of genetics and the genesis of genetic disease. The apex of such research revolves around Alzheimer’s disease and the potential cure for it. The opposing factions, regarding finding the cure for the disease, both agree that in the discovery origins of the disease also lies the key to cure genetic diseases. Yet, the deviating claims of disease origin converge on two claimed points of genesis, genetics or genomics, with both offering absolute scientific conclusion that support both. How can both sides present objective scientific data that cements their side as being correct when the opposing side has just as much data and correctness in their claim?

The decision of subject material implies that the variable nature of confirmation being utilized as a part of his contentions occupies from the principle discourse of a theory of science. I imagined that some of his contentions utilized absolutes while science in this present reality works inside the limits of likelihood and pragmatics. The utilization of likelihood and a down to business way to deal with science has created helpful outcomes and mirrors desires individuals have of their collaborations with the outside