The environmental work of non-fiction, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, was published in 1962. At this time the American public was not as aware to the effects of pollution and consumer activities to the environment as we are today. Rachel Carson wrote this passage to inform Americans of the devastating effects of the chemicals they used in their everyday activities. The primary issue that Carson discusses in Silent Spring is the large amount of deadly insecticides such as DDT that were commonly used in this period. Carson lends credence by admitting that she understands why so many insecticides are being removed because Americans just want to remove annoying bugs. Carson's purpose in writing this passage was to spread awareness of the harmful effects of household chemicals on the environment.
Carson creates a mood of urgency as she uses phrases like "the most alarming of all of man's assaults upon the environment" to reveal to her audience that environmental decay is a serious issue. She provides lots of information on other American practices that have harmed the environment besides insecticide use. She talks about the effects of the creation of nuclear weapons, which had increased dramatically around the time Carson was writing Silent Spring. Because of the harmful effects of nuclear weapon creation, the targeted audience of her work was also the American government who was creating pollution. Carson often refers to the relationship that people have had with nature for thousands of years, which is effective in persuading her audience that they should preserve the environment. The title is also very effective because it makes the reader think about all the beautiful life that is born in the springtime and how that could be taken away by pollution.
Works Cited:
Carson, Rachel. "Silent Spring." 1962. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.
Carson creates a mood of urgency as she uses phrases like "the most alarming of all of man's assaults upon the environment" to reveal to her audience that environmental decay is a serious issue. She provides lots of information on other American practices that have harmed the environment besides insecticide use. She talks about the effects of the creation of nuclear weapons, which had increased dramatically around the time Carson was writing Silent Spring. Because of the harmful effects of nuclear weapon creation, the targeted audience of her work was also the American government who was creating pollution. Carson often refers to the relationship that people have had with nature for thousands of years, which is effective in persuading her audience that they should preserve the environment. The title is also very effective because it makes the reader think about all the beautiful life that is born in the springtime and how that could be taken away by pollution.
Works Cited:
Carson, Rachel. "Silent Spring." 1962. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.