Influenza Rhetorical Analysis

Words: 1221
Pages: 5
Open Document
Historical/Rhetorical Context for Public Leadership In 1918, as public leaders focused their attention on the war effort, a new unseen enemy emerged. An influenza pandemic, commonly referred to as the “Spanish flu,” initially struck United States military camps. As soldiers were shipped en masse to the frontlines, influenza silently followed, eventually infecting every corner of the globe. The 1918 flu ravaged humanity for eighteen months, claiming the lives of roughly fifty million people and racking up more victims than the war itself. Unprepared for this unprecedented viral onslaught, public leaders and news sources in the United States faced a unique rhetorical situation. In the beginning stages of the influenza outbreak, censorship and …show more content…
The bright banners, rousing music, and cheering crowds only furthered the spread of the disease. The United States’s main focus is on winning the war. Addressing the pandemic would cause further anxiety and distract the country. As summer rolled around, newspapers boasted that the warm weather meant the flu was over. The public, following this misinformation, continued to crowd in city centers, use public transportation, and shop at markets– all of which worsened the spread of a now-mutating virus. The second wave of the virus continued to be marked by a lack of public leadership. At this time, the only nation to enact protective measures was Switzerland, which restricted public gatherings. Back in the United States, army bases continued to be hubs of infection. Camp Devens in Massachusetts was hit the worst, with 500 infected in one month. Come September, the influenza was killing soldiers as fast as the war. Hundreds of soldiers passed away from illness without ever seeing the battlefield. When the virus escaped military camps and invaded public cities, doctors called for stricter public health …show more content…
The headline read: “Not a Turkish Harem, But Red Cross Workshop Unit Making ‘Flu’ Masks.” Another ad features a spinographer capitalizing on public confusion to advertise his business: “Not one cantonment death has occurred from Spanish Flu when the patient had received adjustments by a chiropractor,” (Omaha Daily Bee, October 1918). A week later, New York held its annual Columbus Day Parade. The event was attended by President Woodrow Wilson, who had been remaining notably silent on the pandemic. He refused to give any public comment that would distract Americans from the war abroad– even when influenza spread so severely after the parade that more than 5,000 New Yorkers died in a single week. The 1918 pandemic is now the gravest health crisis in history. Doctors and healthcare workers felt helpless, admitting that their knowledge of medicine was useless in fighting influenza. Uncertainty from medical professionals contributed to the spread of
Show More

Related Documents: Influenza Rhetorical Analysis

The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis

In John M. Barry’s The Great Influenza, the author utilizes allusions to build a connection with his audience and build his ethos, but more importantly to display the vital message of his claim. No science paper can be written without an allusion to Einstein because just as “Einstein refused to accept his own theories until his predictions were tested,” readers refuse to accept scientific information unless it comes from a source they find reputable. Barry’s decision to include Einstein built a connection…

Words 252 - Pages 2

The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis

of scientific research, rises out of comradery, investigator helping investigator. Barry maintains a politic tone in order to convey to the readers the significance of these traits to face the world of the unknown. In this passage from The Great Influenza, John M Barry employs the consistent use of juxtaposition, sententia, and parallelism, while varying his syntax and using punctilious diction to illustrate the importance of embracing the unknown. In the first paragraph, lines 1 to 5, Barry includes…

Words 907 - Pages 4

The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis

Author John M. Barry wrote a descriptive, in depth passage accounting the 1918 flu epidemic in the book The Great Influenza. He uses an exploratory tone to explain scientists and their perplexing research to the readers of his book. Barry utilizes anaphoras and rhetorical questions numerous times through his passage to enlighten readers on scientific research. Barry opens his entire passage with the use of an anaphora. He reveals the importance of certainty regarding scientists and their research…

Words 577 - Pages 3

The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis

In the passage from The Great Influenza an account of the 1918 flu epidemic John M. Barry uses rhetorical questions, figurative language and knowledgeable diction, and in order to characterize scientific research and what it takes to become a successful researcher. Barry uses rhetorical questions to provoke critical thinking in the audience. He asks a series of questions such as “would a pick be best, or would dynamite be better?” in order to show the decisions scientists must make. The questions…

Words 385 - Pages 2

The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis Essay

world. Questions such as why is the sky blue and is the universe infinite, are the questions scientists study. Through scientific research these questions are answered. Furthermore, John M. Barry, in The Great Influenza writes about scientists and their research. Consequently, by using rhetorical devices such as contradictions, metaphors, and repetition he makes a well stated claim on scientific research. Barry begins the passage by contradicting the words certainty and uncertainty. He uses “certainty”…

Words 458 - Pages 2

The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis Essay

discover a solution. Times of struggle, such as the world-wide shutdown of 2020, dramatically heighten the already existing difficulties of scientific research. In his work The Great Influenza, John M. Barry writes about a similar time of struggle: the 1918 flu epidemic. Throughout his work, Barry implements various rhetorical devices to characterize the uncertainty and risk involved in scientific research. Barry opens this passage with the simple statement that “[c]ertainty…

Words 591 - Pages 3