John M Barry Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” is a quote stated form Albert Einstein. The quote talks about how people need to believe in themselves even though it seems impossible. Just like how John M. Barry indicates a message about believing in beliefs and ideas. John M. Barry is an author that writes about the scientists and their findings. In his 1918 flu epidemic, John M. Barry implements vivid imagery, effective ethos, and precise pathos to communicate a message of believing in oneself beliefs just like scientists had too. First, John M. Barry constructs vivid imagery to emphasize the trials and difficulties that life throws at people. People experience trial and error when choosing the best way to go about an issue. Scientist use this method when working on their labs and experiments. The author states, “If the rock is impenetrable, if dynamite would destroy what one is looking for, is there another way of getting information about what the rock holds?” (Barry 5). Barry develops the purpose of the excerpt by being very descriptive when …show more content…

No one wants to be a failure at all in life but failure is all around us. For example, “Uncertainty makes one tentative if not fearful, and tentative steps, even when in the right direction, may not overcome significant obstacles.” (Barry 1). The purpose was advanced through showing that everyone has to fail in life, so they learn from their mistakes. Everyone makes decisions not knowing what will happen once it is done. Barry suggests, “It is the courage to accept—indeed, embrace—uncertainty.” (2). Pathos developed Barry’s motive by stating that accepting the failure will help believing in oneself easier as life goes on. Accepting mistakes and failure helps get overcome those difficult obstacles people face in their life

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