Jimmy Carter's 'Arctic National Wildlife Refuge'

Improved Essays
Jimmy Carter writes, “tearing open the heart of our greatest refuge,” to describe what industrialization will do to the Arctic National Wildlife refuge. The general argument in Carter’s forward is that this Arctic refuge should not be developed for industry. First, he uses facts and evidence to build his claim. Then he uses word choice and imagery to support his argument. His purpose is to persuade his audience that development will have negative consequences for the Arctic refuge, in order to protect this unique awe inspiring wildlife refuge. He has established an astonished yet concerned tone for the readers. Carter uses facts and evidence, including personal testimony to support his argument. In paragraph six he mentions the Gwich’in …show more content…
The wording in paragraph one is used to grab the reader’s attention, encouraging them to realize the uniqueness and beauty that the Arctic Refuge holds. Phrases like “where the polar bears and caribou give birth,” and “wolves howl in the midnight sun,” give a sense of life and a flourishing environment. This helps the audience picture the arctic region as something more relatable than just snow. In paragraph three Carter relates the Arctic wildlife refuge to the Serengeti. This comparison tells the reader this Refuge should be seen as something to feel proud of, something Americans should cherish and protect like Africa did for the Serengeti. This image of a national park as famous as the Serengeti in the U.S. helps convince the readers of the significance this region has as a refuge rather than an oil field. Furthermore, Carter compares development to “tearing open the heart of our greatest refuge.” This metaphor is used to create an image relating the arctic to a person and alluding to death. This image shows the readers how gruesome and disturbing industry would be in this region supporting Carters stance of no development. Therefore, Carter uses imagery to show his reader not only the immense beauty of the park, but also the tragedy that will follow

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Nikiforuk uses rhetorical strategies to argue a point and persuade the audience, non-scholarly individuals, to his claim. There are many methods used to achieve this. Starting in the introduction Canada is glorified for what it used to be known for, then that image is quickly contrasted with the now dark and damaged (or destabilized) country because of the developing tar sands. This introduction, which uses pathos (a quality that evokes pity or sadness) by using strong words to induce negative emotions, quickly gives the reader a sense of uneasiness with the tar sands even without yet having heard any of the facts. The use of pathos is seen throughout the article in the form of language choice and imagery to sway the reader to the author’s desired side.(give some pathos examples).…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As we jump “Into the Wild” story of Chris McCandless’s journey throughout the Alaskan wilderness, Jon Krakaur, the author uses rhetorical devices to further delve into the novel and the underlying points of McCandless’s adventure. In the novel, “Into the Wild”, Jon Krakaur uses pathos, imagery, and arrangement to solve the overarching questions related to motive, the effects of setting, and the mental state of Chris McCandless. These uses of rhetorical devices also help readers formulate opinions on McCandless and other Characters in the novel. The use of pathos in “Into the Wild” creates empathy for the people he affected in his lifetime and his family.…

    • 1101 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In a foreword to Subhankar Banerjee's book, former President Jimmy Carter makes an argument against allowing drilling and industrial activity in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In his defence of his position, Carter effectively uses a combination of factual evidence, style, and appeals to emotion to persuade the reader of his ideas. Carter starts the foreword off by describing a time when he went to the Arctic Refuge with his wife, and recounting all of the Refuge's natural beauty, from the "brilliant mosaic" of plant life to the "spectacle" of caribou migration. This use of imagery helps create the feeling that the Arctic Refuge is sacred and beautiful, and therefore deserving of protection; this is a form of emotional appeal; his description of this in the form of a narrative also makes him feel more genuine and relatable.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John Muir Rattlesnake

    • 292 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In “Rattlesnake” written by John Muir, John Muir is a loving husband, father, and father of the National Park Service. Not only was he able to take care of his family, he took care of the forests by saving over 83 million acres of land. John Muir’s whole message is: Doing something you know is wrong could lead to improvement. Throughout his essay, his tone is regretful and sorrowful.…

    • 292 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    His actions were not honorable and his decisions were those of a child. As a young headstrong man filled with hubris, he entered the harsh bush with little preparation. Running away from civilization, McCandless was like many other young men and women who travel to Alaska. He was disoriented, exasperated with societal prospects, probing for an adventure and a peregrination that would provide enlightenment.. An edifier from the Arctic circle expressed his noetic conceptions on McCandless, “I’ve run into several McCandless types out in the country… idealistic, energetic young guys who overestimated themselves, underestimated the country, and ended up in trouble.…

    • 1649 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many who despised McCandless believed he faced an inevitable death and mainly got what he deserved. These opinions originating mainly from Alaskan residents, as many believed McCandless was tainting the Alaskan image and the respect for nature. Yet, these opinions do not aline with Jon Krakauer's purpose of “Into the Wild” as the book serves as Krakauer's way of understanding McCandless's death. In opposition, people who are sensitive, mournful, or rebellious tend to relate to McCandless, emotionally and spiritually.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    All I want is a place to hole up and not be seen.” He acknowledges the balance he must strike, the brittleness brought on by activism and the suppleness of “writing pretty about a place –writing out of celebration.” “The Book of Yaak” is Bass’ way of asking us to join “the army, the small battalion,” of those who would protect the mysteries and beauty of the wilderness for the future. Bass spans a range of emotions in his plea from polite despair, “I don’t mean t be insulting – traveling beyond my valley to ask your help. I know you have similar stories – identical stories – about places there: about every place that’s loved.…

    • 1805 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Erika Anderson once said “Doing the right thing doesn’t automatically bring success, but compromising almost always leads to failure.”. During the 1980’s to the 2000’s many citizens of the United States were faced with an ethical issue, this issue caused many of them to compromise what was wrong and what was right. Around the 1980’s the U.S was having trouble producing its own oil and wanted to drill for oil near an Alaskan wildlife refuge known as Arctic National Wildlife Refuge(ANWR). Although some Americans thought this was okay there were many reasons why this should not happen. These reasons included environmental pollution, harm to wildlife, as well as the consumption rates of oil.…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    President Carter sets forth a very compelling case for preserving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This is quite an important issue as noted by this former President and gives interesting personal details to further his arguments. He uses his vast experience in dealing with complex issues such as the environment to make his point that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should remain untouched. Considering the evidence first mentioned in this passage, the President uses his personal experiences and his powerful usage of diction to show the reader how important the issue of protecting the environment truly is. Very descriptive details of the beauty of this land are found throughout his essay.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    he authors of “The Last Wilderness Preserve” and “ A New Land of Opportunity” present different arguments about the impact human behavior has on Antarctica. Based on critical evidence the author of the ‘’The Last Wilderness Preserve”, Kendra Washington, had the strongest argument. Kendra Washington’s argument is about how she strongly believes that humans should not exploit the natural resources and the beautiful land of Antarctica because this can cause damage or “ threaten the natural state of land “. Author of “ A New Land Of Opportunity” Michael Serillo argues that humans should take advantage of the mysterious land such as the resources that the land of Antarctica. Both believe that the land is beautiful but have different views on how the land and resources should be used.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These stories highlight some of the most important issues of the current era, both in different ways. In Eisenberg’s book The Carnivore Way, a more modern take on the current state of the ecological system. Eisenberg presents lots of logical facts and scientific statistics that are used to prove her point. In the other spectrum, Faulkner’s Big Woods collection tells a more narrative approach to telling the reader. He uses fictional characters to invoke emotions from the readers and insight his own messages to the reader, all while keeping the messages ambiguous to the reader.…

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “Two months later,on February 2, 1982, Alaska state troopers came across his camp, looked inside the tent and discovered the evacuated corps frozen hard as stone”(84). McCunn was had the same love for the nature taking pictures but McCandless was making his own story through pictures. Krakauer compares McCunn to McCandless to show that he was not stupid and had reason for going out into the wild. They both isolated themselves from family and friend and founcused on the thrill rather than their safety. Jon Krakauer later includes his own analogy and anecdote to compare Mccandless choice that it’s not easy going out wild with no human contacts and keeping in touch with the world.…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The novel, Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer, is a riveting, cautionary tale about the death of Chris McCandless, a young man who embarks on a journey to Alaska to seek the truth of happiness through the solitude of nature and free himself from the constraints of society. No doubt, the ongoing theme throughout Krakauer’s novel is the dysfunctional father-son relationship between Chris and his dad. In fact, McCandless died before he had the chance to grow out of his anger. Into the Wild examines the fatal expedition of Chris McCandless as he breaks all ties from society and challenges his ability to survive in the wilderness. Through the use of primary sources, situational irony, and syntax, Krakauer thoroughly captures the compelling tragedy of Chris McCandless.…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Wilderness Conservation

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Writer Roderick Nash argues that wilderness is the antithesis to the human paradise in satisfying our interests (Nash, xii). Henry David Thoreau advocates that “in wilderness is the preservation of the world” (Cronon, 471). Environmental activist Gary Snyder believes wilderness to be “a person with a clear heart and open mind can experience the wilderness anywhere on earth. It’s a quality of one’s own consciousness” (Cronon, 495). Author Bill McKibben believes there is no wilderness and “we must accept the fact that no area on earth remains pristine or fully free of human influence” (Waller, 545).…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is no secret that the idea of wilderness grips every American citizen. Some authors including, William Cronon, have gone to great lengths to explain American infatuation with the wild. Cronon in his article The Trouble with Wilderness, Or Getting Back to the Wrong Nature, presents the sublime nature of wilderness as one of the reasons Americans imagine nature. I believe both I, Krakauer and Chris McCandless disagree with William’s Cronon’s assessment of the American psyche. Rather than seeing the wilderness as, “rare places on earth where one had more chance than elsewhere to glimpse the face of God” (Cronon), Krakauer, McCandless and most Americans believe wilderness is a place to find yourself.…

    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays