The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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Scientific research is a methodical process based upon common sense and reason. Due to the nature of science it is used to discover the underlying aspects of the 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” to express strength but on the other hand Barry uses the word “uncertainty” to express weakness. Therefore, by doing this he creates a juxtaposition of words followed by hypothetical examples such as certainty being “something upon which you lean on” and uncertainty making one “tentative if not fearful”. The second paragraph Barry creates a list of adjective describing the qualities a scientist must have. Furthermore, by listing …show more content…
He creates an extended metaphor stating that as a scientist you must “deal with the unknown” to find your answer. Then Barry goes further into the metaphor and states that the best of the scientists wander off alone with no tools but the ones that they create. Continuing onto paragraph 5 Barry reinforces the idea that the best scientists create “everything” through hard work. Going into the next paragraph he states that if this scientist succeeds with his work then a “flood of colleagues” will do the same and take the easy “paved road” where the materials have already been made and the knowledge can grow. He supports his statement by comparing the idea that obtaining materials that have already been made by other scientists is as easy as ordering mice from a supply
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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…

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