Rachel Carson Sparknotes

Rachel Carson is a noted biologist who studies biology, a branch of science addressing living organisms, yet she has written a book called Silent Spring to speak about the harmful effects of pesticides on nature. Carson doesn’t write about birds’ genetic and physical makeup, the role of them in the animal food chain, or even how to identify their unbelievable bird songs, yet strongly attests the fight for a well developed environment containing birds, humans, and insects is just and necessary. To Carson, the war for a natural environment is instantly essential for holding on to her true love for the study of biology. Thus Carson claims that whether it be a direct hit towards birds or an indirect hit towards humans and wildlife, farmers need to understand the effects and abandon the usage of pesticides in order to save the environment by appealing to officials, farmers, and Americans in her 1962 book, Silent Spring. She positions her defense by using rhetorical devices such as rhetorical questioning to establish logos, juxtaposing ideas, and using connotative and denotative diction.

In her essay Rachel Carson targets anyone who will listen as her audience. She wants to inform human beings of the effects chemicals have on the environment. Rachel Carson’s audience had little knowledge of the effects radiation and pesticides might have on nature or to themselves. She successfully enlightened her audience to the harm man was causing to the environment not only presently, she also wrote of future ramifications. She predicts “Future historians may well be amazed by our distorted sense of proportion. How could intelligent beings seek to control a few unwanted species by methods that contaminated the entire environment…?” (Carson 615). This statement might make her audience scrutinize their actions through the eyes of future generations.

With Skinker's help, Carson obtained first a summer fellowship at the Marine Biology Laboratory at Woods Hole in Massachusetts and then a one-year scholarship from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. While at Woods Hole over the summer, she saw the ocean for the first time and encountered her first exotic sea creatures, including sea anemones and sea urchins. At Johns Hopkins, she studied zoology and genetics. Graduate school did not proceed smoothly; she encountered financial problems and experimental difficulties but eventually managed to finish her highly detailed master's dissertation, "The Development of the Pronephoros during the Embryonic and Early Larval Life of the Catfish." In June 1932, she received her master's degree.

The following involves the second chapter of Carson’s book, Silent Spring that was written in 1962. In this chapter Carson argues persuasively the adverse impacts of pesticides upon the environment and the risks on human health and the environment associated with these “genetic invaders” (Carson, 1962). Many of the extremely diverse people from Carson’s audience targeted were under the impression that chemicals like DDT, at that time in history, were safe for their health. Carson reconciles and attempts to persuade the public to consider the idea that DDT, which in the 1950s and 60s was one of the many chemical pesticides being manufactured and sold to

As per research ‘gender’ provides a perspective from which one could examine the biases that exist in the larger society. Some believe that to arrive at a more eloquent understanding of the problems of women in science , one should begin by asking what is the nature of science space that leads to under-representation and marginalisation of women rather than questioning the situation of a woman’s life that makes it difficult for her to pursue science.

Marie Daly is a famous biochemist who had to overcome dual hurdles of racial and gender bias to peruse her lifelong love of chemistry. Marie had to undergo judgment from her being a woman and trying to become a scientist, which was a male dominated occupation and also had to endure racism because she was an African American. Marie made many scientific discoveries that we are lucky to have today.

Rachel Carson, in her book, Silent Spring, asserts that Americans must seriously reconsider the reasons for which they unilaterally use poisons. Carson does not explicitly state this, for that would have little effect, rather she attempts to force the reader to reflect and question the status quo. She employs provocative and unapologetic diction and rhetorical questions to drive her message home.

In 17 chapters, many of which can stand alone as essays, Carson develops a deceptively simple premise: the use and overuse of synthetic chemicals to control insect pests introduces these chemicals into the air, water, and soil and into the food chain where they poison animals and humans, and disrupt the many intricate

She wrote using an incredible supply of research and observations as evidence to her claims; she took on the $300 million dollar pesticide industry using evidence-based claims with 55-pages of sources and numerous personal accounts of the negative impacts of DDT. She brought a spotlight to the battles of man versus nature especially following World War II. She pushed not for the outlaw of pesticides, but for the responsible usage of pesticides and full knowledge on how these chemicals impact the systems of nature. She was only one of two women hired at the professional-level of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries and rose to serve as the science editor for all their publications. Because of her influences, she inspired “green chemistry: the design, development, and implementation of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of substances hazardous to human health and the environment” (Bishop, 2012). Many credit Carson for inspiring the modern-environmental movement and the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency. Many environmentalists and scientists credit Carson and her writings for their own sense of wonder in nature and their future work in the science field. It’s my opinion that Rachel Carson is a great role-model for persistence and the nature of science because she faced many personal and

In the book Silent Spring, Rachel Carson’s main concern is the widespread use of synthetic pesticides and their impact on the environment. Carson concentrates on a commonly used pesticide in the 1950s called DDT. She opposes the indiscriminate spraying of DDT because it has profound consequences on the environment, humans and animals. Carson collected information about how the DDT can cause cancer in humans, harm animals such as birds and remained in the environment for long periods of time. Subsequently, the chemicals in the pesticides are extremely harmful so she tries to raise awareness and convince others that there are better alternatives.

Albert Einstein once said, "Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." Similar to Einstein, the author Rachel Carson believed that human kind should embrace nature's and help preserve its beauty and life . In the passage from the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, the author informs and persuades her audience against the dangers and misuse of pesticides. Rachel Carson is a renowned writer, ecologist, and scientist who dedicated her life to the conservation of the environment. Throughout her career as an editor in chief, marine biologist, and environmental activist, Carson continued to educate the public about the

Rachel Carlson and his book Silent Springs perefectly demonstrate it. Pesticides, which are used popularly now, are not all good. It does kill some harmful bugs, but it also kills some bugs that are beneficial to the crops. Rachel Carlson, an environmental activist, wrote a book called Silent Springs, in which it talks about the real harmful effects of pesticides, especially DDT, a very widely used pesticide at the time. Her insistence in the book that the world should change its point of view suddenly shocked society. She quit her formal job when she decided to write this book. During the process of writing and researching, the pesticide companies continued to spread rumours that her findings were false. Initially, because of the clout of these manufacturers, citizens all believed the companies, but after she published her book, the public opinion changed drastically. Shortly after she published the book on DDT, she died. 2 years after her death, the government banned the use of DDT because of its harmful effects. The path of Rachel Carson is full of dangers, she knew that people hate her book because they are afraid that new experiences can take over old

It can effect humans, crops, and animals. The worst possible outcome for all is death. Pesticides can be passed down from generation to generation, in can being ingested through our drinking water, and we can eating it by spraying it on our plants. Humans have made a pesticide that cannot only kill nut can also cause cancer to us and now never be completely gone. The worst part is that experts are starting to have a problem identifying these chemicals and not knowing how to get rid of them so we are not in taking as much. So, in reading these chapters made me think is getting rid of pest that important that I am putting my own life at risk. Rachel Carson just wants humans to realize that the decision they are making will effect humans from many years after they do it. She also wants to give them the chance to realize the consequence of those action and be able to make a choice

Everyday, all around the world, people and animals enjoy the simple pleasures that nature brings them. But in the past, excessive pesticide use by farmers has changed the quality of the environment for the worse. Rachel Carson, American scientist, author, and conservationist, fought against this ridiculous act for many years. In her 1962 book, Silent Spring, Carson considers that if farmers continue to apply generous amounts of pesticides, the spring season will eventually become dead quiet due to all the extinct animals. By discussing the consequences of these pesticides on the environment, wildlife, and humans, Carson encourages the public to take necessary action to prevent the dangers of pesticide application.

In the first few chapters she describes town where living things and the environment coexist in peace but how, shortly after, the town is silent and the birds have stopped singing (Carson 13). She explains that for the first time in the history, people will be exposed to chemicals from their conception to their death. This was over 50 years ago, when man-made pesticides had only been around for about two decades. It prompts us to ask what level of exposure we are experiencing in 2015.