Rhetorical Analysis - April 13

This rhetorical analysis is going to be about the book "Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank. It has nothing to do with healthcare or energy or schools, but it does try to make a point. Mr. Frank was in a line of work that had something to do with nuclear missiles or something like that, but then he realized the inherent danger of atomic energy. He began trying to lobby against the use of nuclear weapons. So he wrote this book about what would happen to a small community in Florida if the Cuban missile crisis (yes, it's an old book) escalated to the nuclear level.

S - It is not quite sufficient. He set out to educate everyone on what would happen in nuclear winter, and it turned into more of a novel than an educational story. He provides a lot of information, but not in a format that would convince anyone of anything.
T - It is not typical of environmental-type warnings at all. I have yet to see Michael Moore write a novel about an issue. Or do anything else worth mentioning.
A - The information seems to be quite accurate, as the writer seems to be familiar with government procedure, protocol, and course of action. He also is familiar with the part of world in which he places the story.
R - Not all of it is relevant. Again, it is a novel.

Ethos - His credibility is high, both from the information given and his personal background.
Pathos - The emotions played to are really angst and the human sense of drama. There is love, loss, family, and survival all tied together, but nothing to really convince the reader to protest nuclear missile programs.
Logos - He does try to play to logic in this book. He gives a very possible scenario, and makes the decisions that the characters make very real and typical of people in those types of situations.

All in all, it was a good read, but it didn't really forewarn me of the nuclear apocalypse, which was his original intent in writing the book.