Out of all of the forms of rhetoric used in this essay, Ethos seems to be the most common. Barnett makes numerous emotional appeals throughout the essay. The very first statement she makes is an emotional appeal to the middle and lowers classes against the frivolous uses of water by wealthy neighborhoods (338, Line 5). The second section of the essay focuses on the impending failure or complete draining of various water reserves throughout the country, attempting to insult a sense of unease in its audience. “Most Americans…don’t yet seem to fathom that the largest reservoir in the United States Is in danger of drying up” (Barnett, 340).
Barnett Also relies heavily on the usage of …show more content…
Early on she makes an appeal to common sense when she mentions that despite a drought occurring in California, residents of granite valley were not forced to restrict water use (338). There was also a sizable section about how Sacramento CA, One of the most sustainability minded communities in the US was nearly oblivious to its own rampant usage of water (338-339). This section attempts to communicate the subject of the essay “the illusion of the abundance of water”.
Along with the more generic rhetorical strategies, Barnett also makes use of specific word choices to improve her argument. She often uses highly academic phrasing to appear more educated in her subject or argument, thus lending credibility to her argument. “Amenity to envy”, “Profligate water” use, and “Cretaceous age rock” (Barnett, 338) are all examples that occur in the first two paragraphs. She also makes use of more emotional wording. Such as “imperil future generations” (Barnett, 340), and to sway her readers to her