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  • Essay / Rhetorical Analysis of “Save the Whales, Screw the Shrimp”

    “Men sometimes stumble upon the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry on as if nothing had happened. » (Winston S. Churchill). Humans tend to act in ignorance when it comes to the painful truth, because they believe it is easier to avoid than to accept it. In this unusual but honest essay, "Save the Whales, Screw the Shrimp," Joy Williams satirically highlights and explores humanity's despicable behavior toward nature and the harsh truth it fears that accompanies it. Its focus and exploration contemplates the consequences of humans' callous actions and the responsibility they must take in order to convey the message of accepting the truth and changing their ways before it is too late. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay In order to fully engage readers in listening and understanding her message, Williams offers an imaginary conversation between herself and the readers. The conversation is about the truth about the actions of humans and how they contribute to the destruction or preservation of nature. She draws attention away from herself and addresses the person she is talking to as “you.” Immediately, she begins by blatantly emphasizing the selfish “want, want, want” attitude one has toward nature. Williams then targets the unspoken truth about the thoughts and emotions being felt by asking, “Do you feel this? » about nature in general down to the smallest hidden details, photographs of animals and natural landscapes held. It is a way of defining the truth that humans are afraid to admit and face. She outlines sentences that would affect the readers emotionally, just like the one when it comes to loving something: "It's better to be wary because you tend to love it to death." Williams challenges the reader's thoughts and emotions by presenting a comparison between guilt and regret, in which "guilt is not cool" and "regret is a possibility." Cautiously, she warns readers that guilt and regret are just some of the things humans avoid because they involve responsibility, but the difference is that the former weighs less than the latter. Williams considers sarcasm a powerful tool to get the point across. about people who are responsible for their own damage and about raising awareness about certain organizations that preserve nature, a subject that some are afraid to discuss. She mentioned a few organizations and people who seem to know more about nature than most ordinary people. Whenever she mentioned them, she would first state their claims or what their project was about, then add a few words or comments that would support or contradict it. The subject of the EPA's campaign to ban dinoseb was one of them. The statement: “You seem to like dinoseb. It is a popular weedkiller although it has been directly linked to birth defects. You must hate weeds a lot” indirectly offers what Williams is trying to communicate to readers, which is that people harm themselves and their future children. Another display of sarcasm with a hint of truth from Williams was when she said: "Sometimes even the stewards get mixed up." This deals with the roles of stewards or managers when it comes to pleasing people and fulfilling their desires. Sometimes humans do not accept the fact that these organizations commit.