Close Reading #2

Future of the Gulf

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/opinion/sunday/future-of-the-gulf.html?ref=opinion


Diction: The words "unfilled" and "failure" in regards to congress' actions target the duty of congress to work  to fix the nation's ailments and trials. These words display how congress has not fulfilled it's job and that it should be pressured to do so. The foundation of this government for many denizens is a government for the people by the people, and these words target that feeling in order to stimulate a greater interest in the issue.


Details: The argument this article is making is that the congress should be enacting more legislation and programs in order to clean up the gulf. Details involving the amount of money that could be saved from further efforts, and the restating of Obama's initial statements are compelling details that encourage the reader to get involved in pressuring congress. In an extremely rough economy a 23 billion dollar industry cannot afford to be lost, not to mention the domino effect one industry can have on others.

Imagery: When the Author describes the disaster in the gulf as being the worst since Hurricane Katrina, it instantly evokes the images of thousands of houses submerged only visible by their roofs and newspapers with giant bold letters tallying the death tole. Unlike nature and animals being destroyed the human disaster of the hurricane triggers a deeper response in the reader and compels them to agree with the author's point on a much higher level.