When a situation sounds desperate, many times, people prepare for the worst. But what happens when the situation really is terrible and most people aren't concerned? Such a problem occurred in the Philippines with the arrival of Typhoon Haiyan and the catastrophic results afterwards. The majority of people in Tacloban, Philippines weren't bothered by the threat of a storm; it seemed like any other storm, one of many they get each year. Those who did prep didn't prep enough... and the storm changed from a dangerous inconvenience to a disaster. Writers Te-Ping Chen, James T. Areddy, and James Hookway masterfully use imagery and exemplification to illustrate the scale of the catastrophe that happened in Tacloban and appeal to an educated, concerned audience by filling in missing details about preparations for the devastating typhoon.
The authors' use of imagery really puts in place the setting of the article and helps to explain why the typhoon was such a problem. By describing Tacloban as a "city on the rise", readers can imagine what would happen if a large storm hit a city like NYC or Philadelphia, and therefore have a more familiar picture of the catastrophe in their minds. The imagery also sets up the enormity of the storm and its effects, creating sympathy in the reader. The authors' audience is more involved in the story now that they are more knowledgeable about the Philippines and preparations for the storm. The news of the typhoon is more personal to Americans if they can picture what happened, since events in the Philippines are sometimes very different from events in America.
The authors' included many examples in their article as well. These examples range from short explanatory captions on main "characters" in the article to quotes from people who prepared for the storm and struggled with what to do after the storm hit. This exemplification provides evidence for readers that backs up the claims the authors' are making and the descriptions they present about the Philippines. Real life examples make the story more connectable and personal that just a news report; they, along with imagery, make the article worth reading out of many in the Wall Street Journal.
Chen, Te-Ping, James T. Areddy, and James Hookway. "Typhoon Haiyan: How a Catastrophe Unfolded." Wall Street Journal Online. The Wall Street Journal Newspaper, 24 Nov. 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
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