Critical Essay on Hurricane Katrina

Abstract

Hurricane Katrina was a catastrophic event that opened the nation's eyes to some harsh realty. Jim, Wallis describes in his essay Hurricane Katrina" What the Waters Revealed how our nation was exposed to the harsh realties of how class and race is intertwined with our nation's complete poverty. The essay sheds light on how the nation's poverty levels, especially in New Orleans are deplorable and unacceptable. Jim Wallis calls for the nation's government to put the interests of the nation's people ahead of any politician's personal agenda. He paints a clear picture of what challenges the people of New Orleans faced before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina.

Logos

In What the Waters Revealed the author discusses how Hurricane Katrina shown a light on poverty in New Orleans and the world in general. Hurricane Katrina helped to broadcast how many people especially, African Americans are poor. Because of Katrina for the first time in many years the nation is focused on how much poverty is affecting the United Sates. In our nations history Hurricane Katrina exposes our nation's denial the number of Americans living and existing in complete poverty. The essay reflects on society's reluctance to admit how poverty and race correlates to our American society.

As stated by Jim Wallis," Katrina has revealed what was already there in America; an invisible and mostly silent poverty that we have chosen not to discuss, let alone to take responsibility for in the richest nation on earth" (Wallis, Jim. (2005, November 1). What the waters Revealed. The Free Library, p. 10. The author appeals to the reader to understand how his data correlates to the core of the problems of our nation because of Hurricane Katrina. The author uses his data to help the reader see how he has exposed the ill-forgotten poverty stricken citizens of New Orleans, and our nation.

Pathos

The author paints an emotional and vivid picture of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. The author tugs on the readers emotions by describing how mothers and her children and even the elderly were stranded on rooftops for days. The essay describes how the predominantly poor African Americans were herded like wounded and destroyed animals. The nation was ashamed by how wide the poverty gap was among the rich and the poor. "We have now seen what is under the rock in America," said a carpenter in Washington DC." Katrina exposes how high the poverty rate was in New Orleans 28% (84% of them African American), and a child poverty rate of almost 50% – half of the city's children (rates only a little higher than other major cities. Wallis, Jim

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