20. Save the Whales, Screw the Shrimp

Joy Williams, an environmental enthusiast, writes an article that deals with the environmental issues in today's society. Williams talks about all the ways people willfully ignore issues such as landfills, ocean pollution, an unnecessary demand for disposable products, and a human tendency to remain ignorant towards nature and her needs. She points out how we enjoy controlling and devastating nature, driving out animals and mowing grass and chopping trees, confining it to a manageable space. She ends by saying that it's our responsibility to see what we're doing to the planet, be shocked, and take action, not just stand there and let it all happen.

Williams addresses the reader directly and also in a highly sarcastic way, personally blaming the individual for the problems that she points out; according to her, it's due to the reader's passivity that it happens. She often makes rhetorical questions to which she gives the sarcastic-but-true replies. Her writing style is a bit standoffish and might even offend some, but on the other hand it might be applauded by people who feel above these kinds of practices. So while she writes skillfully, her method isn't so effective when it comes to provoking a response. Plus, some of her points are difficult to comprehend, especially when she's being sarcastic. Some readers really don't have a clue about what's going on in the world, and being aggressive isn't the best approach for these people. Her concluding paragraph, however, summarizes the essay well, and explains what she expects the reader to do. She could have put a little grace into it, though.

https://disassemblingwalle.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/savethewhales1.pdf