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“Top of the Food Chain” & “Mercury Rising” – A Comparison
Boyle’s “Top of the Food Chain” is a satirical, fictional account of U.S. Government intervention in Borneo. In it, Boyle discusses the use of DDT, a highly toxic pesticide that was used until the late 1960s worldwide. The use of DDT led to a tremendous increase in birth defects during the period of its use. The U.S. Government, along with numerous other world governments, banned the use of DDT permanently in 1972;however, many smaller, less economically stable countries still utilize it as their primary pesticide. Consider the following between the two articles:
1.What is Boyle trying to point out? In other words, what is he pointing out about human vice, weakness and folly, in terms of bringing about a needed change in Borneo?
2.Boyle’s essay is fictional and satirical, utilizing various satirical elements to make its point. Find examples of four of these elements, and write down the sentence(s) and page numbers they can be found in/on.
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How does Boyle utilize these effectively to make his point?
3.Boyle’s essay focuses on a society far away from ours, where the end results of our actions/inactions may not now or ever directly affect us. How is “Mercury Rising” different? List at least three ways in which “Mercury Rising” is different in its approach from “Food Chain.” Does “Mercury” utilize any satirical elements? How is the writing style different (point out at least two ways)? Why is the writing style different?
4. Which piece was more effective for you? In other words, did Boyle’s satire make its point more effectively than Kluger’s essay, or is it the other way around? Explain. (Use back of this page if necessary.)
5. Now, write a two to three page (maximum three pages) essay, typed with correct MLA format. - - - Compare and contrast these two pieces utilizing information gleaned from this worksheet. You must utilize three of the five satirical elements we discussed for the “Food” piece, as well as at leasttwo Aristotelian Methods of Appeal from each piece.
- Make certain you create an outline first, listing your chosen citations/quotations, examples of AMsA and satirical elements.
- Your thesis statement must contain at the very least three green words which will indicate which piece was more effective for you as a reader, as well as what your argument entails in terms of why it was more effective.
- Additionally, you MUST include two correctly formatted citations from “Top of the Food Chain” which demonstrate/exemplify utilization of satirical elements, and at least two citations from “Mercury Rising” that demonstrate/exemplify ethos, pathos and/or logos. I will be grading this essay based on the attached rubric; make certain you peruse the rubric so you know exactly what and how you will need to write to ensure a strong grade. (See me for variations on what to support with citations.)
- Lastly, you will need to submit this to Turnitin.com on or before the due date, and; bring in a hard copy for me to grade.