Rachel Carson's Argument Of DDT

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Question: How does Rachel Carson build her argument of DDT to persuade the reader? DDT is Harmful A picturesque portrait of a flourishing green forest abundant with robins singing and flocking together is lain before you. To the outsider nothing is out of the ordinary, only earlier that day the forest had been sprayed with DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), a deadly insecticide, to prevent the spread of Dutch elm disease. Soon many of the robins will have been wiped out due to insecticidal poisoning. Birds lay across the forest bed cluttered together as if they had gone down simultaneously. The chemical used to treat the Spruce Budworm actually targeted the surrounding creatures and took them by surprise. An abundance of man-made chemicals…show more content…
The chapter picture along with the title Rivers of Death was stomach churning to the reader, knowing innocent life was about to harmed because of the aerial spraying (Carson, 1962, p.129). The reader can use the imagery to further enhance their understanding of what Carson is trying to tell the reader; Rivers of Death eluded to the fish becoming ill of an unknown source, possibly chemicals, which in turn killed the fish. The point she makes is to push the reader to recognize that DDT is more harmful than good. Ridding the area of Spruce Budworm has an effect on life not only to that…show more content…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture published in an issue of Home and Garden Bulletin with information regarding the spraying of DDT in households (Carson, 1962, p.175). The article advised the spraying of harmful chemicals such as DDT on clothing items was an acceptable form of preventing and killing insects. People were seen spraying clothing items with moth resistant chemicals, polishing floors with wax-laced chemicals of DDT, and gardening insecticides that are applied to lawns (Carson, 1962, p.175-176). Spraying these chemicals on daily household items would have a detrimental effect on that person’s life, especially since “Dr. Hueper gave DDT the definite rating of a “chemical carcinogen”” (Carson, 1962, p.225). Through her evidence Carson shows the reader in a unique way that the spraying of DDT and other harmful chemicals is very dangerous to the body, yet at the time the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it was alright to spray clothing with DDT; our government did not nearly do enough research to make that claim and publish it. The reader can deduct from the information that DDT was extremely dangerous and little thought was put into the publishing of the
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