The Great Influenza Rhetorical Analysis

Words: 385
Pages: 2

In the passage from The Great Influenza an account of the 1918 flu epidemic John M. Barry uses rhetorical questions, figurative language and knowledgeable diction, and in order to characterize scientific research and what it takes to become a successful researcher.
Barry uses rhetorical questions to provoke critical thinking in the audience. He asks a series of questions such as “would a pick be best, or would dynamite be better?” in order to show the decisions scientists must make. The questions evoke the inner creativity and curiosity the scientist must have to discover the answer or solve a problem. Barry uses each hypothetical question as a different situation to help the reader further understand the quest of obtaining information as