In the National Geographic interview written by Simon Worrall, “Former Trainer Slams SeaWorld for Cruel Treatment of Orcas," author and former SeaWorld trainer John Hargrove sheds light on the mistreatment of the killer whales. Hargrove also talks about his book, Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish, where he shares anecdotes from his life as a trainer and what led him on his journey to orca advocacy. The interview is also full of Mr. Hargrove’s opinions on how the killer whale shows at SeaWorld are mentally and physically harmful to the orcas. Although Hargrove has a solid thesis, his argument is weak because none of his statements are based on fact, merely opinions or personal experiences.
In the …show more content…
Despite this, Hargrove's ends on a disgusted tone to make the reader feel upset about the cruelty SeaWorld puts these orcas through. The gory details Hargrove provides while describing the mauling of trainer Dawn Brancheau by an orca cause the reader to fear killer whales. "He dismembered her," Hargrove says, "He tore off her left arm and scalped her." This actually weakens Hargrove's claim by making the audience fear the orcas, which in turn would decrease the public's desire to help rehabilitate such vicious creatures. However, the diction within this interview, including words such as "dread," "trauma," and "horrific," have powerful negative connotations that invoke an anger-driven sympathy that cause the reader to want to right humankind's wrong.
As a former trainer, John Hargrove has witnessed firsthand the unfavorable outcomes of captivity on killer whales. Despite his close relationship with these animals, his claim is weak because he relies on his experiences at SeaWorld to uphold his argument. Hargrove's claim is based on no proof and various vague statements simply acknowledging that captivity has negative effects on the killer whales. Without a structured argument, John Hargrove loses all the power that his experience brings to his
In the …show more content…
Despite this, Hargrove's ends on a disgusted tone to make the reader feel upset about the cruelty SeaWorld puts these orcas through. The gory details Hargrove provides while describing the mauling of trainer Dawn Brancheau by an orca cause the reader to fear killer whales. "He dismembered her," Hargrove says, "He tore off her left arm and scalped her." This actually weakens Hargrove's claim by making the audience fear the orcas, which in turn would decrease the public's desire to help rehabilitate such vicious creatures. However, the diction within this interview, including words such as "dread," "trauma," and "horrific," have powerful negative connotations that invoke an anger-driven sympathy that cause the reader to want to right humankind's wrong.
As a former trainer, John Hargrove has witnessed firsthand the unfavorable outcomes of captivity on killer whales. Despite his close relationship with these animals, his claim is weak because he relies on his experiences at SeaWorld to uphold his argument. Hargrove's claim is based on no proof and various vague statements simply acknowledging that captivity has negative effects on the killer whales. Without a structured argument, John Hargrove loses all the power that his experience brings to his