Science is a field of work only done by men and women of courage and those who are not afraid of failure. Scientist must not be afraid of uncertainty or afraid of being proven wrong. Some of the most famous scientists of history have had their theories demolished by modern findings, but that does not diminish the work of their time. Scientists must be willing to push the limits of experimentation and be passionate about their work. All of these points were made by John M. Barry, in a passage from the writing, The Great Influenza. He characterizes research as risky and uncertain. To do this, he makes his argument flow smoothly from point to point, having each argument lead into the following one, and then finally coming full circle to address his initial point. He also uses imagery and metaphor to paint a picture of the determination and purpose of researchers. Finally, he uses examples to solidify his argument. Barry uses a flowing argument, metaphor, and examples to bring his point across.
Barry's argument flows smoothly and efficiently, maximizing his argument's strength. He begins by contrasting certainty and uncertainty and how a scientist must experience both in order to succeed. He then builds on uncertainty by mentioning the fragility of scientific theories and how they could be dis-proven by a single experiment. This not only solidifies uncertainty, but then leads into how science is a frontier. This is because by definition a frontier is a land of uncertainty where anything can happen. He characterizes research as a frontier because he sees scientists as pioneers in their fields which again touches on the uncertainty of science itself. He then leads right into how scientists must "create everything". This means scientists must be prepared for the unexpected and must be ready for anything. Again this has an overlying theme of uncertainty, but Barry is continually flowing and driving out new topics. After being prepared for everything, he outlays how scientists must look at problems with open eyes and look for many different solutions to the same problem, and after that he brings the argument full circle and addresses the main theme of the passage, uncertainty. By keeping his argument flowing from point to point, Barry makes his argument enthralling and strong.
Barry also uses imagery and metaphor in this passage to bring his point across. He describes research as a "frontier" and a "wilderness" of sorts. This of course was to drive home the theme of uncertainty mentioned in the first part of this analysis. This image drives home the common American association of the frontier to the adventurous pioneers of the Oregon Trail and other such adventurers. He then compares new discoveries to a "looking glass" which is famous for changing the perspective of the beholder about the world around him. Finally he describes their findings as a crystal which brings order out of the chaos around it, just as research brings knowledge into a world of uncertainty. Barry uses colorful metaphor to illustrate his point.
Finally, Barry uses examples of famous researchers and their findings to solidify his argument. He first quotes Claude Bernard, saying " 'Sceince teaches us to doubt'". This affirms his ever present theme of uncertainty and gives it a basis to use in the rest of the passage. Then, Barry refers to Einstein and how even he did not truly believe his own research till it was backed up by experimentation. This not only helped lead into his experimentation argument, but it further strengthened the theme of uncertainty. Barry used examples as a good backbone for his arguments.
A flowing argument, metaphor, and expamples were all used to drive Barry's messag across. Barry's circular path made his argument very efficient and effective. His use of metaphor and imagery helped to illustrate his point. Finally, examples solidified his argument. |