Richard Louv Rhetorical Questions

Throughout history, humans have had a strong reliance on nature and their environment. As far back as historians can look, people have depended on elements of nature for their survival. In the past few decades, the increased advancement of technology has led to an unfortunate division between humans and nature, and this lack of respect is becoming a flaw in current day society. In Last Child in the Woods, Louv criticizes modern culture by arguing that humans increasing reliance on technology has led to their decreasing connection with nature through the use of relevant anecdotes, rhetorical questions and powerful imagery to appeal to ethos.

‘The sheer popularity’ of stimulating nature or using nature as ad space ‘demands that we acknowledge, even respect, their cultural importance,’ suggests Richtel. Culturally important, yes. But the logical extension of synthetic nature is the irrelevance of ‘true’ nature— the certainty that it’s not even worth looking at. (Louv lines 9-19)

In his 2008 novel, Last Child in the Woods, journalist and natural idealist Richard Louv demonstrates the effect that separation from nature has on children. Using a variety of rhetorical strategies, Louv reminds the different parents, as agree cohort which adapted alongside new technology, of the benefits they received from nature prior to the technological revolution. Louv persuades them to instill an appreciation of the natural world in their children, even if such appreciation deviates from societal norms.

Richard Louv writes a persuasive essay analyzing the relationship between nature and technology. His essay focuses on how technology is progressively altering the way we perceive nature. Louv believes that the more we are in contact with technology, the less in touch we are with nature. His persuasion throughout the essay uses many rhetorical devices to help the reader envision how much better “true nature” is.

Within the modern world, and the modern thought process people have about our connection with new technologies is one of constant expanse. All caution is thrown to the wind in an attempt to satisfy one insatiable hunger for a certain type of keeping up with the Jones-es. Many authors speak on the wonder of technological advances on society by the exact means of how they work, however, Richard Louv is not this kind of author. He presents technology as useful, but with an underlying tone of a technological numbing agent. We begin to only see it instead of what Earth has given us millions of years. Technology is only a certain part of the problem with the real problem being humanity's mindset toward our greatest asset, nature. Mr. Louv uses extremely profound and intelligent rhetoric to push forward the idea that us as humans are already so broken away from nature, that eventually it will be deemed illogical we used it for anything other than a means produce by it. Richard shows three areas we have really broken apart from nature with the three examples of ad space for parks, extra commodities for an SUV, and the genetic modification of animals.

Last Child in the Woods, written by Richard Louv, is filed with multiple rhetorical strategies for the purpose of developing his argument of nature verses mankind. In today’s society, technology has become essential for a person to properly function. Louv draws the reader’s attention to the lack of nature in the lives of today's technology obsessed generation with the application of devices such as: anecdotes, sarcasm, and the use of rhetorical questions while also building to power. One rhetorical device that started off the piece was the use of a personal anecdote. Louv mentioned that a friend of his recently visited a car dealership and shocked the dealer when she answered no to the added backseat technology.

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, creates a thought-provoking idea of the separation between people and nature in this excerpt from his book. His opinionated tone forces the reader to be concerned for the future generations by including ironic hyperboles and sarcastic diction, which appeal to the readers’ pathos. He uses these rhetorical strategies to indirectly state his opinions.

Louv states in the passage that, “The sheer popularity of simulating nature or using nature as ad space “. This quote builds on the idea in which instead of children or adults admiring the beautiful views nature has to offer instead people are being

In Lost Child in the Woods Louv writes to the American audience about how people are disconnected to nature through a critical tone. He describes how our society continues to normalize the idea that nature is not important. Throughout the essay, he proves that nature is what causes us to have a full life. Louv uses rhetorical devices such as logical appeal, imagery, and rhetorical questions.

People vs. Nature (Louv’s Techniques)     While writing this passage, it was very apparent that Richard Louv had some very brilliant rhetorical strategies. His main goal while writing, was to keep the readers interested, and make them want to continue reading until the end. He decided to write about examples that have happened, which might’ve caused a separation between people and nature. Richard Louv came to the conclusion in this passage that humans have somehow created a “synthetic nature” that some people might mistake for actual “nature.” In the text, Louv did many things to keep the reader interested, such as listed certain examples, asked a series of questions, and quoted from other people as well.

Nature is the strongest thing in this world that everyone takes for granted. It holds the power to create life, but also destroy in mere seconds. In the modern world, we try to figure out and use nature in a way that can benefit us, but not how we can benefit it. With a constant search for nature and its resources, it causes humans to less mindful of the wilderness around us and how no matter what, at the end, nature will outlive all of us. Humans think they can outsmart nature with their new technology and progress, but we also end up having to turn back to nature for help in order to survive. In Jack London’s story, To Build a Fire, we follow a man into the wilderness

(Crane 21). The author outlines the stark contrast between the thoughts of man and those of nature. Additionally,

Since the beginning of time, man had lived harmoniously with nature; the two coexisted and formed a bong that could never be severed. As this bond grew, it permeated mankind’s soul in that man needs nature and it is to their benefit that they utilize it to the best of their ability. Thereafter, it became universally acknowledged that man needs nature. In Emerson’s time - the 1800’s - many thing had yet to be discovered, so when Emerson pondered and took a deeper look into nature, he noted his discoveries in his essay: “Nature”. In his essay, he focuses in on the relationship between man and nature which holds very true today.

Nature is merely our instrument of conquering one another. By manipulating what already exists, we create everything from nuclear warheads to high speed internet. The continuous competition between men feeds off of our technological advancement—none of which would be possible without the resources Nature provides for us. And rather than being grateful for the unequivicable power so generously offered us by our environment, we instead mock its existence. We distract from the cunningness and cruelty of our efforts toward mankind by relabeling our target ‘Nature’ rather than ‘each other’. By convincing ourselves we are somehow beginning to have Nature within our control and understanding, we forget that Nature is really only the means, not the end of our conquest. We will not be satisfied until we have defeated ourselves. As Lewis puts it, “Human nature will be the last part of Nature to surrender to Man. The battle will then be won… But who, precisely, will have won it?” (The Abolition of Man, 421)

Many people have tried to figure out when the separation of humans and nature first took place and according to The Separation from More-than-Human Nature “others have seen the separation as