Comparison Essay It is known that human’s actions greatly affect the environment that we inhabit. This is a leading cause to problems such as, global warming. The two essays, “Worried? Us?” written by Bill McKibben and “The Ends of the World as We Know Them” by Jared Diamond, both have the same opinion on the matter of environmental issues that have been swept under the rug for too long. Mckibben approaches this particular issue with tremendous amount of pathos which installs fear into the reader. Diamond’s essay tends to use more than just emotion by adding a great deal of logic. The way Diamond approaches the reader is much more effective because of his tone, usage of rhetorical devices, types of facts and details. Tone is a key way for the reader to pick up on the author’s attitude and feelings towards a certain subject. For instance, Diamonds tone throughout his essay is optimistic, which allows the reader to associate his words with a feeling of trust and confidence. He does not bluntly state that if we continue on the path that we are on now then ultimately we are headed for destruction. Instead he throws in the question, “How long can America remain ascendant? Where will we stand ten years from now, or even next year?” which allows the reader to contemplate whether their actions have helped to progress these issues (Diamond648). Mckibben, on the other hand, is approaching the same question with a more pessimistic point of view. He goes in to great detail defending his opinion on the matter of how, as a whole, we are lacking the motivation to recognize our problems and unite for a greater cause. This is not an effective method because he does not state a way to overcome this situation instead he just gives reasons to... ... middle of paper ... ...World as We Know Them” is a much more effective essay than “Worried? Us?” for the fact that Diamonds tone was not harsh but optimistic. His usage of logos granted him credibility and gives the reader a feeling that their small change can have an impacting effect on the world. The historical facts give the present and future societies a chance to learn and change from. After reading this essay, the reader will be much more aware of their actions and show care towards their environment. Works Cited Mckibben, Bill. “Worried? Us?” The Writer Presence: A Pool of Readings, 6th ed. Eds. Donald Mcquade and Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2009. 761-765. Print. Diamond, Jared. “The Ends of the World as We Know Them.” The Writers Presence: A Pool of Readings, 6th ed. Eds. Donald Mcquade and Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2009. 648-653. Print.
Michael Crichton was an amazing novelist who penned numerous literary works that has impacted today’s societies. In his book, State of Fear, an eBook extra presents a speech given by him called, Why Speculate? Aspects of this speech show the reader that he disapproves of the ways that the media speculates and creates a public that is misinformed about the events of the world. Upon further elaboration, the reader can become aware that Michael Crichton is a critic of global warming, and believes it is nothing more than media speculation. The key idea of the book was the debate of global warming and bioterrorism. Global warming and the emission of greenhouse gases is a concept heavily found in the curriculum, as a student analyzes how different
As a society, we focus some of our thoughts on how to preserve the Earth and different ways to recycle and keep it clean. Although we do have an effort into saving our home planet, we, as a whole race, don’t have our hearts in it. There are the people who are obsessive economists and worry about the world excessively and those who don’t care enough or at all. The two stories both present a possible outcome for our lack of effort in preserving the Earth in two different genres, fiction and nonfiction. Of the two stories “Silent Spring” and “If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth…”, the one i felt most affected by was Marvin in, “If
In Michael Pollan’s “Why Bother?” Pollan argues that each person can contribute to helping to the environment by erasing their carbon footprints. In my everyday life I experience the choice of driving my car to work or riding my bike. More often than not I choose to drive my car because it is the easier option. I, along with many other people, believe that my individual impact will not cause a larger impact on the global scale. In Pollan’s essay, he makes each person think about the effect they are leaving on the environment and how each person, as an individual, can change his ways before it is too late. Wendell Berry, a naturalist and well-respected and influential writer, was a key factor in recognition of the environmental crisis and how to solve the problem.
The environment has become a popular topic this year due to our on-going drought. It has always been a serious issue; something Saukko informs us in her sarcastic essay “How to Poison the Earth”. She uses sarcasm and irony in her essay hoping her readers will do the complete opposite of what she is saying because of the stress she puts on the harming chemicals we use every day. We do not appreciate our environment and take it for granted. This ideal is what Ehrlich's essay “Chronicles of Ice” focuses on by using analogies and scientific definitions to describe aspects of glaciers. The melting of the glaciers introduces us to the topic of global warming and how our society is doing nothing to stop it from getting worse. Gawande’s “The Cancer-Cluster
Prince Henry of Portugal, more commonly known as Henry the Navigator, and Zheng He, a successful Chinese admiral, were both extremely accomplished men throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. During this era, many accomplished explorers ventured out into the ocean and discovered new lands, two of the most important men being Henry the Navigator and Zheng He. Although both men came from different backgrounds, their contrasting societies and structures affected the way in which they regarded economic and political expansion and also their contact with other cultures. Societies like the Chinese and Portuguese had many cultural differences such as their different religions. The Chinese practiced neo-Confucianism whereas the Portuguese were Christians which was one of the many purposes of their exploration, to spread Christianity. There were also many cultural similarities between the two societies such as their long lasting histories and their explorer’s curiosity to seek out to new lands, which resulted the two societies in having different views on economic and political expansion and contact with other cultures. Both Confucian and Christian ideologies favored those who worked over the wealthy. Thus, to a larger extent, the structures and values of a society have an extensive impact on the way people view economic and political expansion and contact with other cultures.
The Cask of Amontillado is an 1846 short story by Edgar Allan Poe, which gives an account of Montresor, a man who executes a plan of vengeance against his friend, whom he claims insulted him. As the narrator in the story, Montresor provides a vivid image of his plan to lure Fortunato to his death, which ends in the eventual live burial of Fortunato. The theme of revenge is the most prominent element of this story, which enables the reader follow the narrator’s character, thus gaining a comprehensive understanding of the story. Similarly, the development of William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is founded on the theme of revenge. From the onset of the play, the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears to him and asks that he carries out revenge on Claudius, who killed him and took the throne from him. However, unlike The Cask of Amontillado, the theme of revenge in Hamlet is mainly manifested through the protagonist’s inability to execute vengeance till the very end of the play. The theme of revenge is an integral aspect of the two literary works, to enhance the development of characters and their role in bringing the specific stories to life.
Alexie, Sherman. “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me” Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings. 5th ed. Ed. Robert Atawan and Donald McQuade. Boston:Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. 73-76. Print
While some differences between Ventura College and the colleges that Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus wrote about in their essay are evident, the similarities are salient. Ventura College meets the characteristics that Hacker and Dreifus described in their essay, Ventura College has a low tuition rates, small class sizes, and all students have access to counselors and instructors. The only difference between Ventura College and the colleges that Hacker and Dreifus talked about is funding. Ventura College doesn’t cost a lot of money to attend, but is experience it provides actually worth the price?
Bill McKibben's "The Environmental Issue from Hell" argues that climate change is a real and dire concern for humanity. His essay deals with the methods and persuasive arguments needed to spur American citizens and the government on to change to more eco-friendly choices. The arguments he proposes are based largely upon emotional appeals calling for empathy and shame, and examples of what in our daily lives is adding to the changes we're seeing in the climate.
Relativism can be hard to understand. It’s in our nature as human beings to base thing off of the knowledge we already know. Relativism is the idea that, when faced with another culture, we must try to comprehend it instead of judging it based on our own culture’s values and morals. Human rights advocates opposing the tradition of female genital modification (FGM) is an example of relativism (page 30). Female genital modification can include the removal of the clitoris or a process in which the female anatomy is modified in such a way that constricts the vaginal opening. Both procedures reduce female sexual pleasure and, it is believed to prevent the likelihood of adultery. Although a tradition in societies in Africa and the Middle East, human
In 1989, seventy five percent of Americans identified themselves as environmentalists, and the number has continued to grow since then (Walls 1). Environmentalism is now the most popular social movement in the United States, with over five million American families donating regularly to environmental organizations (Walls 1). Environmentalists today focus on what kind of world they hope to see in the future, and largely deal with limiting pollution and changing consumption rates (Kent 1 and 9). Modern environmentalists also have much different issues than those Carson’s America faced. With climate change becoming more threatening each year, protection of the natural world is needed more than ever. Pollution has caused the warmest decade in history, the deterioration of the ozone layer, and species extinction in extreme numbers (Hunter 2). It not only threatens nature, but also human populations, who already suffer from lack of clean water and poisoning from toxic chemicals (Hunter 16). Unlike environmental actions in the 1960’s, which were mostly focused on protection, a massive increase in pollution has caused efforts to be focused on environmental restoration (Hunter 16). Like in the time of Silent Spring, environmentalists are not only concerned with one country. Protecting the environment remains a global issue, and every nation is threatened by the
An analysis of Mycerinus and Kha-merer-nebty II and Augustus of Primaporta, reveals that there are many similarities, but also many differences between these two pieces of sculpture. These similarities and differences are found in the subject, style, and function of both works of art.
The famous French playwright Moliere once said, “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” Throughout our lives, we often are faced with hardships that cause us to change ourselves, the people around us, and the situation itself. Because of this, it may reveal our true characteristics to show who we truly are. In the memoirs “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls and “Warriors Don't Cry” by Melba Patillo, they vividly illustrate the story of how they faced their struggles. They both prevailed because of their tenacious mind sets, but handled the situations in both different and similar ways. The characteristics of the characters Jeannette and Melba show the similarities and differences between the characters.
Some people think that if they could only change one aspect of their lives, it would be perfect. They do not realize that anything that is changed could come with unintended consequences. “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs and “The Third Wish” by Joan Aiken both illustrate this theme. They demonstrate this by granting the main character three wishes, but with each wish that is granted, brings undesirable consequences. The main idea of this essay is to compare and contrast “The Monkey’s Paw” and “The Third Wish.” Although the “The Monkey’s Paw” and “The Third Wish” are both fantasies and have similar themes, they have different main characters, wishes, and resolutions.
Personal writing can take several forms, descriptive and narrative being two examples. The two essays, "I Want a Wife" by Judy Brady and "Sister Flowers" by Maya Angelou are prime examples of such writing. Both stories were able to capture my attention and entertain me throughout their entirety. Choosing a preference is always going to be subjective; it is all a matter of how you like to take in information. In fact, personal choice is what inclines you towards a certain title as opposed to another. Some may like to envision their own details, while some rather the images chronicled for them. In fact, the crystal clear details given in a descriptive essay as compared to a narrative, set the two far apart. Although narrative essays can give details without as much wording, the vivid pictures painted by a descriptive essay such as "Sister Flowers" is a superior read since the details make the story come alive.