Rhetorical Analysis and Civic Engagement

I selected environmentalism and conservation as general discussion topics for my speech and essay. The speech investigates a piece of graffiti (titled Cagacemento or, rather vulgarly, “Concrete Shit”); a narrative on resource consumption (Figure 1), while the essay plans to dissect Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (Figure 2).

Figure 1: “Cagacemento”, by anonymous graffiti artist Nemo. Milan, Italy. Image by Nemo via Whoisnemos?

Published in 1962, Silent Spring is perhaps the most influential environmental literary work to date––in it, Carson brings attention to the U.S.’s excessive, unregulated use of the dangerous pesticide DDT. While, at the time, most of the American population was singing the praises of a pesticide capable of killing hundreds of different types of insects, Carson pointed out the detrimental ecological effects of wiping out so many species with one blow (not to mention the human health hazards of such a compound). Silent Spring earned Carson the title of bestselling author, though her work was widely controversial; so controversial, in fact, that President Kennedy intervened and had its claims investigated. However, Carson’s meticulous, six-year compilation of corroborated information paid off, and her truth shone through––serious measures were taken to restrict pesticide use, and DDT was eventually banned altogether. Silent Spring raised awareness of the delicate ecological balance upon which we all depend; the work made it clear that nature, though seemingly vast and untouchable, is, in fact, vulnerable.

Figure 2: a quote from “Silent Spring” that nicely summarizes Carson’s point. Image by AZ Quotes.

Silent Spring argues that untested, artificial compounds like DDT are potentially detrimental to an entire ecosystem, and that they should not be naïvely set free into the environment. Americans were so excited to eradicate pesky insects that they didn’t consider the bigger picture, and what the health implications of such a chemical might be––Carson proves there’s no removing man from nature. Everything is codependent on each other for success. Silent Spring is unusual in its hybrid nature: it is equal parts scientific report and literary narrative––this makes it an excellent subject for analysis, and may partially reveal why it was so monumental. Are there other works with a similar nature to this book? If so, what caused them to fail where Silent Spring succeeded in conveying a call to action?

I plan to compare and contrast Carson’s work with Nemo’s (the artist responsible for Cagacemento) in terms of presentation, public reaction, timing, and effectiveness in conveying a rousing narrative. Book versus graffiti, mid-1900s versus twenty-first century––what do they accomplish, and where do they fail? Silent Spring is a thorough scientific analysis of the state of nature, and Cagacemento is an explicit visual narrative on resource consumption. Clearly, Silent Spring has been more quantifiably influential, as is evidenced by the millions of copies sold and the tangible results of pesticide restriction…but is Cagacemento more accessible, and therefore more effective at spreading a message? These are the questions my essay aims to answer.