Tow #5 - Now Arriving - The Deadly Ebola Virus Lands in America

In Now Arriving - The Deadly Ebola Virus Lands in America, David Von Drehle highlights the frightening fact that Ebola has finally come to the United States. A successful author and journalist for Time Magazine, Drehle explains the outbreak story in vivid detail and its potential impact on the rest of the country. Addressing American citizens, he writes in an attempt to educate them about the deadly virus and its side effects, and to explain how it found its way to the U.S. In this piece, David Von Drehle appeals to logos and ethos and uses figurative language in order to achieve his purpose. Throughout the article, he appeals to logos and uses various facts and statistics, explaining the significance of the virus. He says, "With more than 3,300 people dead in the growing West African epidemic, the arrival of Ebola in the U.S. is indeed unnerving news". This number illustrates the effect of Ebola on people in other countries and how it has the potential to majorly affect the U.S. He also gives basic facts about Ebola, including, " Patients are contagious only when they are suffering symptoms: fever, muscle aches, vomiting and so on." By stating basic side effects, he attempts to educate his audience about what cases of Ebola may look like and what they should look for. He also appeals to ethos, by using many quotes, from very credible sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Texas Governor, Rick Perry and even President Obama. These pieces of information used by Drehle, help him establish his credibility and trustworthiness to his readers, giving his argument more weight. He also uses figurative language, including metaphors, in an attempt to achieve his purpose. When talking of containing the case, he says, "It can be tedious work, though, and it is only as good as the front-line caregivers who are the point of the spear". The author seemingly compares the containment of Ebola with fighting a tough battle, with "the front line caregivers", being doctors acting as soldiers fighting the virus, and "the front of the spear", being the direct attack of the issue. This metaphor helps illustrate the importance of Ebola and the difficulty it will take to extinguish it from the United States. I think that Drehle achieved his purpose during this piece. Before reading, I did not have a great idea of what kind of virus Ebola is and what its side effects are. Now, I am much more educated on the subject and I know what to look for, in the case that Ebola spreads throughout the country. In this Global Health Article, David Von Drehle effectively describes Ebola to American citizens, and discusses the importance of the problem it proposes.