Rhetorical Analysis: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

In the foreword to "Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land, A Photographic Journey," former US President Jimmy Carter voices strong opposition to proposals that aim to industrialize areas of natural tundra in Alaska. He urges readers to look beyond short term financial gain and to protect nature’s innate beauty. In order to persuade his audience that the Arctic Refuge should be preserved, Carter develops pathetic appeal through the use of personal anecdotes, precise word choice, and evocative imagery.

In place of traditional evidence such as numbers and statistics, Carter utilizes impactful anecdotes from his experience with the Arctic Refuge to persuade his audience. He describes walking along the tundra with his wife and

When discussing the ramifications of industrial development in the Arctic Refuge, Carter states that “such proposed developments would forever destroy the wilderness character of America’s only Arctic Refuge.” By emphasizing the gravity of the situation with weighty phrases such as “forever destroy” and “America’s only,” Carter creates an urgent atmosphere for his audience that leads them to consider preserving the Arctic Refuge more seriously. Similarly, Carter takes advantage of America’s sense of national identity by addressing his audience inclusively. He creates a sense of camaraderie when he implores “we must look beyond the alleged benefits…and focus on what is really at stake.” Later on, he carefully chooses words that describe industrial development as “tearing open the heart of our greatest refuge.” Other examples of emotionally charged and audience-inclusive word choice work to make the audience feel part of a larger movement: “It [the Arctic Refuge] is a symbol of our national heritage,” and “our first settlers.” All of these instances of skilled word choice help draw the audience into Carter’s argument. Then, to seal the deal, he claims that preserving the natural land would be “the greatest gift we could pass on to future generations.” Carter aims to make the audience believe that fighting for his cause will result in lasting benefits for everyone. Such pathetic appeal

When describing the Alaskan tundra, he goes into great detail. Doing so helps to let the audience know what it is about the natural land that is so worth protecting. By using phrases such as “brilliant mosaic of wildflowers, mosses, and lichens that hugged the tundra,” and “muskox…lumber along braided rivers that meander,” Carter lets words transport his audience to the Refuge to experience the breathtaking beauty and wonder of the tundra for themselves. Without such imagery, Carter would be less effective in persuading his audience that the Arctic Refuge is important to protect. Later in the passage, Carter continues to use appeals to pathos by picturing what it would be like “if this great wilderness was consumed by a web of roads and pipelines, drilling rigs and industrial facilities.” These stylistic demonstrations of imagery evoke emotion within the audience and aid in inducing them to discredit industrialization of the reserve. As such, Carter’s use of detailed imagery is a keystone for the persuasive power of the