"Silent Spring" Rhetoric and Style Questions

#2: In paragraphs nine and ten, Carson's tone has changed to an informative yet grim one. The purpose of these two paragraphs differ from the ones before; they are leading into the next section, titled "The Obligation to Endure". In the first section, the tone goes from happy to dark, and the story Carson writes is fictional. However, paragraphs nine and ten of that section change the style of the piece by becoming more knowledgeable, informative, and introductory. This difference serves the author's rhetorical purpose by acting as a transition from one style of writing to another, keeping the audience and reader engaged and interested in what she has to say.

#4: Carson appeals to authority to this section by using facts from another credible source. She refers to the British ecologist Charles Elton, and paraphrases his research on the subject of invading insects. This gives her more credibility because she is bringing outside information into a subject that she is also an expert on. By using research from other people about the topic, she proves her point even more. In paragraph 28, she uses statistics to further emphasize her research. By giving statistics to support her claim, her claim becomes more credible and reliable.

#8: Carson's purpose in ending the chapter with someone else's words was to give the passage a very strong ending, and to tie everything she had said together with some outside context. She names one of the sections "The Obligation to Endure", and that phrase appears in the ending quote. This ties the whole passage together. Using another famous person's words also appeals to ethos; famous scientists such as the one who said that quote in a paper such as this would have a lot of credibility.