Emotive Language In Under Water By Kate Sheppard

Persuasion has been a technique to allow people to do something through the use of reasoning or argument. This technique has been seen in writing, propaganda and many other forms that enforce people to choose a side about issues that they feel strong about. It helps influence people’s beliefs toward an issue and changes their perspectives to agree with the argument. Global warming has been a strong issue in current society; however, the issue itself persuades others with awareness but also allows them to contemplate their perspective and provide actions for it. In the text, Under Water by Kate Sheppard, the authors explains to the readers how United States spends billions of dollars on rebuilding the infrastructure of coastlines that

were affected by natural events rather than preventing it in the first place. In the text, The Madness of the Planets by Corey S. Powell, the author get a perspective of a planetary expert on the formation of the solar system based on the theory of instability. Both authors use several methods to persuade their readers to see their perspective of their arguments. Through the use of persuasion, several techniques can be used to convince the people through the use of facts, emotive language, and the use of tone.
The use of facts provides background information about the argument that authors can use to persuade their readers. In the text, Under Water, Kate Sheppard describes the recent natural disaster, Hurricane Sandy, and infrastructure that the U.S. government provides to clean up these disasters. Throughout the text, she provides basic facts about the environmental changes and government spending on these natural disasters such as, “ Rising seas and severe weather are expected to increase the area of United States at risk of floods by up to 45 percent by 2100,” (Sheppard 248). This allows her to be able to show solid proof within her argument which allows it to be more believable to the readers. In addition, in the text, The Madness of the Planets, Corey S. Powell describes his experiences with Alessandro Morbidelli about his theory that the formation of the solar system is based on instability. Powell uses facts to support his argument throughout his writing such as, “In 1995, two Swiss astronomers detected 51 Pegasi b, a planet orbiting a dim yellow star located 50 light years away in the constellation Pegasus,” (Powell 224). The author uses evidence from experts like Morbidelli throughout his writing to convince the readers about instability in the solar system which allows making the argument more concrete. Furthermore, global warming is an issue that provides people awareness about the stability of the planet. In order to convince people about this issue, scientists need to have solid statistics about certain environmental problems on the planet such as levels of gases in the atmosphere and how it can affect the ecosystems throughout. Using facts to support an argument can help people to be able to change their perspectives and can agree with the argument. Without stating facts, the argument may not believable and less concrete to people which makes it harder for them to agree with the subject itself.
In addition, emotive language can help persuade the readers to be able to have a connection with the author which can help them be able to understand their argument in the writing.

Corey S. Powell provides this language throughout his writing which provides the reader to understand his feelings in his argument. In the text, Powell explains his understanding in Morbidelli theory in the solar system in which he says, “Instability is a mechanism that transforms things from generic and boring into particular and interesting,” (Powell 230). The author uses adjectives to make the writing more interesting and be able to make his audience wanting to know more about the particular subject. The choice of the words throughout the text enhances the interest in readers and be able to be more receptive towards the argument. However, Sheppard does not use this technique throughout her writing. In the text, she often provides a large amount of facts to make her argument more concrete such as, “ Fifty percent of the nation’s shorelines…highly vulnerable to sea level rise, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,” (Sheppard 239). Her voice throughout the writing is geared towards a particular audience while Powell is geared towards a general audience. The difference in both writings is that Powell has more emotion in which it allows the audience to be able to connect more while Sheppard provides facts throughout her writing that a particular audience might want

to look for if in order to agree with the argument. Additionally, global warming can use emotive language to allow the readers to feel remorseful when it comes to particular subjects such as an animal’s life. This can provide the audience to feel empathetic about it and can change their perspectives to gear towards enforcing actions towards the issue. The use of emotive language helps find a personality of the author in the writing and can depict the style to approach the subject throughout a text. It helps bring life to the writing which makes it more interesting and intriguing towards the readers. This technique allows the reader to be able to connect more with the writing and be able to gain the understanding of the author’s argument thus, changing their perspectives on the issue itself.
Lastly, the tone of persuasion can help identify the attitude of the subject and can help refer to the overall feeling throughout the writing.

Unlike emotive language, tone can change in the writing based on a certain subject. In the text, Under Water, Kate Sheppard’s tone is dull in her writing through which she does not show any emotion in her argument. She provides quotes from other people that were affected by Hurricane Sandy to make the readers feel empathetic which thus makes her argument stronger. In the text, she quotes from the victim of this natural disaster in which he says, “I look at these little moments, this incremental progress, but I wonder, is there enough time? Can we make it?” (Sheppard 250). This provides the readers an understanding of what the victim is going through, but it also makes it hard to find the attitude of the author throughout her writing. However, in the text, The Madness of the Planets, Corey S. Powell provides a curious yet excited tone throughout his writing when he interviews with Morbidelli. In the text, Powell states, “But Morbidelli is not at all gloomy or apocalyptic about his work. The more I speak to him, the more I absorb his perspective,” (Powell 230). The readers get to see his view throughout the writing when he explains Morbidelli’s work and perspective on the solar system. It shows how appreciative he is towards the planetary expert which he demonstrates throughout his argument. Unlike Sheppard, the readers can

identify Powell’s curiosity on the subject which makes it more interesting throughout the text. Tone can help readers find the author’s personality and attitude towards their argument which helps make more convincing to the audience.
In conclusion, using these methods can allow persuasion to be more convincing towards the audience and thus, allowing them to have their own perspective on it and agreeing to the subject.