How to Fake a Puffin Society by Michelle Nijhuis - Essay Example

Rhetorical Analysis How to Fake a Puffin Society By Michelle Nijhuis The phrase ‘Impossible is nothing’ has been overused but a well-balanced articleHow to Fake a Puffin Society by Michelle Nijhuis shows that Kress has done just that. To do something huge one needs to break rules and grounds. If something is unprecedented, it simply means it hasn’t been tried or not tried enough. People in general need to understand this and they need to understand this for a fact not a mere emotional stir. Nijhuis shows that Kress’s efforts are huge yet they should serve as an inspiration and need to be told in a balanced logical narrative. The author tries to accomplish awareness among people. There is no argumentation here, Michelle Nijhuis only informs the audience what amazing people like Kress have done for this planet to preserve the lifecycle. Nijuis describes what puffins are; in her description she uses emotions to clear the purpose. She didn’t start by ‘the earth needs its birds to keep the natural lifecycle intact’. She merely drew the picture in readers’ minds that puffins are simply adorable to look at and their chicks bring that emotional ‘awe’ to the mouth when one sees them. But there shouldn’t be any misdirection here, she clarifies that no one needs to be an bird lover to admire cute birds like puffin. What she’s really saying is that if people like Kress are not there, we (the readers) would have missed out on such cute animals, that is the purpose of her article. Since the article is published in the Slate Magazine, the audience belongs to many areas of life. Slate magazine covers many areas including business, politics and technology, so anyone out there is the target. This earth and its species are for everyone. Stephen Kress is not the only one responsible for protection of puffins. This article can be read online and that makes the whole world Nijhuis’s audience. There aren’t only puffins that need to be taken care of; many other breeds of various other animals are disappearing fast. How to Fake a Puffin Society can save endangered whales, or correct someone who is poaching Siberian tigers for their fur or a person that is stealing eggs from an eagle’s nest in Himalayas. The audience is not limited by any means, it is an inspiration for all. One doesn’t need to be scientist like Kress or an article writer like Michelle to take care of the natural habitat. The audience is everyone who lives and breathes on this planet. Nijhuis comes across the subject in both neutral and funny way. There is a mix of personas. For instance when Kress was at sea waiting for puffins to arrive, sea gulls dropped crap on them, which was not necessary to mention but it definitely made the article a little light, a bit funny. However the topic itself, the preservation of puffins while being criticized for Kress’s methods is a very serious topic and the approach is logical. One can’t argue that Michelle also creates some curiosity to know more about puffins. As in the beginning of the article she tells how amazing these birds are and their swimming skills once convinced onlookers that they were in fact a cross between birds and fish. “Though wobbly on land, puffins can dive down 200 feet underwater, and they swim so expertly that people once believed them to be a cross between a bird and a fish.” Nijhuis could not hide her own love for puffins when she wrote; “Never underestimate a puffin.” This is both emotional and funny. Puffins can look cute but they’re tough, Nijhuis tries to create the perfect mental picture to narrate Kress’s story. The article is narrative in its entirety and uses very few emotions. For instance when Kress becomes successful in establishing a vibrant Puffins’ nestling at the coast, he thanks his critics and cynics for degrading and thinking that his methodology was odd, as it made sure that Kress would never deter from his ambition and make sure that he sees the process to the end. The author could have made this more emotional and would have created resentful feeling towards the other scientists but he chose not to. It is better this way as the overall feel of the article remains very neutral yet appreciative and convincing, even for Kress’s critics. When Nijhuis explains that Kress’s efforts were seen as “an arrogant effort to manipulate nature” and “Idealistic waste of time”, this doesn’t make the article emotional at all. The reader needs to bear in mind that those are the words used by other biologists for Kress’s efforts. This is only a logical presentation of Kress’s story. Even when she concludes, she inspires readers, rather than humiliating the cynics. She gives the lesson that as Kress had worked so hard, other scientists (other biologists are trying to rehabilitate murres and they’re using Kress’s methods) that are following Kress will need more than just inspiration “persistence” is the real fuel of engine. Inspiration is just the flame that ignites, hard dry wood is the persistence that keeps the fire burning. That fairy tale emotion is definitely absent here. As explained in the previous section the author of the article would have brought tears to the reader’s eyes by narrating Kress’s struggle and perseverance. He had to brave a lot more than the sharp beaks of Puffins but author toned the emotional aspect down. This style appeals to mass audiences. As the readers certainly not feels being lured into awe and inspiration of Kress. Everyone would agree that birds need to be protected. Once extinct, they can’t be brought back to life and they certainly (all the birds including puffins) need to protected, which is common sense logic. Earth (a healthy planet at least) needs all earthlings for a prosperous life cycle on her chest. Here the balanced (non-emotional) approach appeals more as the reader doesn’t feel that the emotional aspect of saving puffins is being tied to Kress (the technique often marketers use – draw out emotions and tie product with the emotions and sell it!). Source Nijhuis, Michelle. "How to Fake a Puffin Society." Slate Magazine. N.p., 7 Nov. 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. . Read More