Analyzing Rhetorical Choices in "The Great Influenza"
Read the provided passage from "The Great Influenza" carefully. As you read, annotate the text by noting examples of rhetorical choices made by the author (such as diction, syntax, imagery, tone, and appeals to ethos, pathos, or logos). After annotating, you will write a thesis statement that clearly identifies the rhetorical strategies the author uses and explains their intended effect.
Group 1
Annotate the passage by underlining or highlighting examples of rhetorical choices (such as diction, syntax, imagery, tone, and appeals to ethos, pathos, or logos). Make notes in the margins explaining the effect of these choices.
Source 1.1
In 1918, a particularly virulent and deadly strain of influenza swept across the globe, killing millions. Scientists and doctors, facing an enemy they barely understood, worked tirelessly in laboratories and hospitals. The stakes were high: the fate of entire communities rested on their discoveries. In the midst of this crisis, the scientific method—systematic, skeptical, and rigorous—became both a weapon and a shield. The scientists’ commitment to truth, even in the face of uncertainty and fear, shaped not only the course of the epidemic but the very nature of scientific inquiry itself.
Excerpt from "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry.
Question 1a
List two rhetorical choices made by the author in the passage and briefly explain the effect of each choice.
Group 2
After annotating and analyzing the passage, write a thesis statement that identifies the rhetorical strategies the author uses and explains their intended effect on the reader.
Question 2a
Write a thesis statement that clearly states the rhetorical choices the author makes in the passage and explains how they contribute to the author’s purpose.
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