John Barry The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis

In the passage from “The Great Influenza,” by John M. Barry, he characterizes scientific research through the utilization of figurative language, organization, and rhetorical appeals. Barry asserts us that a scientist’s notion and beliefs can easily be undermined by uncertainty, while certainty can enhance their experimental views and confidence. Throughout this excerpt, Barry uses rhetorical devices to explain the qualities of scientists that enable them to achieve higher levels of success.

Everything that is known was once unknown. In John M. Barry’s book, The Great Influenza, he effectively asserts this belief with the use allusions and a paradox to characterize scientific research as embracing uncertainty to make the unknown known.

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.

The purpose of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is to protect the health of America and to “promote the quality of life through the prevention and control of the disease, injury, and disability (CDC, 2013).” The CDC has a concern about a growing disease that is normally found in children to young adults called Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD. This Rhetorical Analysis will be focused on ADHD. The CDC’s Website is trying to inform current or future patients, parents and care givers, and teachers on how to handle this illness.

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.

It wasn’t long before Gould’s precision became apparent, as he revisited most of his references in order to explain their significance. Although not all of the references were accessible to the general reader from the beginning, the eventual unfolding and connecting of key ideas were rewards for the diligent reader. It felt like an accomplishment to be able to fill my partner in on the details, as if Gould had given me permission to reap the benefits of his expertise.

The first claim that Barry makes is that scientists need to be courageous in order to be heroic. To get this point across, he uses the rhetorical strategies of antithesis and diction. He says, “Certainty creates strength. Certainty gives one something upon which to lean. Uncertainty creates weakness. Uncertainty makes one tentative if not fearful, and tentative steps, even when in the right direction, may not overcome significant obstacles.” By presenting two contrasting ideas, certainty and uncertainty, Barry starts to suggest that a scientist’s job can include a lot of uncertainty.

Liberal leaning New York Times (NYT) columnist Charles M. Blow, in his op-ed, "No, Trump, We Can’t Just Get Along", recounts Trumps tirade of controversial, racist and bigoted proclamations which dominated the 2016 presidential campaign season. His column ranked 21 out of 100 of NYT’s most-read articles in 2016 (New York Times). Blow's purpose is to give his mostly liberal audience permission to reject President-elect Trump’s dismissive attitude about his record and additionally, to convey that message of rejection to his colleagues in the media who appear complacent about holding Trump accountable. He adopts an angry chastising tone to establish himself as an authority and to appeal to similar feelings of his readers.

The quote delivered by the intelligent and insightful John M Barry states, “To be a scientist requires not only intelligence and curiosity, but passion, patience, creativity, self-sufficiency, and courage” (Barry 5). Scientists endure a great amount of adversity than most people think. They have to retain a wide variety of skills to assist them in different circumstances that form in their laboratory. Scientist need to have persistence, so that when they fail, they will be willing to try again. As well as, acceptance to come to terms with the fact that an experiment turns out the opposite of their theory. In John M Barry’s passage,“The Great Influenza” he utilizes direct diction and powerful punctuation to characterize scientific research.

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

Metaphors were another example of a rhetorical strategy used in the Great Influenza. Through metaphors Barry asserts that scientific research is similar to the way the crystals are formed. An example of a metaphor “...acts like a crystal to precipitate..” this is used to show how scientific research takes time to produce as such as crystals do. Crystals are connected to the wilderness described here because in the wilderness they are required to bring order to it and as they do this it acts like a crystal has been triggered to create form out of chaos. Another use of a metaphor is “Ultimately, if the researcher succeeds, a flood of colleagues will pave roads over the path laid, and those roads will be orderly and straight…” This metaphor

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.

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.

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.

The advertisement, "Catch the Fever," featuring Beyonce Knowles, achieves its purpose to persuade viewers to purchase her signature fragrance through the use of rhetorical strategies. This ad targets a larger audience of women who look up to Beyonce and will want to buy any product she produces. Beyonce uses ethos, logos, and pathos in this ad. Beyonce uses ethos by including herself in the ad, logos by including the phrase “Catch The Fever”, and pathos with the warm colors included in the ad captures Beyonce’s sexy gaze that looks straight at the reader. All of these things are what make the ad work and persuades the audience to buy the product. . The purpose of this ad is to get women to buy the perfume and to ultimately get men to buy the perfume for their women. The purpose is also to convince women that if they buy this perfume they will able to be sexy and confident like Beyonce is. This ad also wants to convince men that if they buy this for their women, their woman will be sexy and confident like Beyonce is.