Mustafa Arshad

English 2 PAP
5/21/2016
Period 5

The Great Mississippi

To many today, the Mississippi River is a symbol, as it was to Mark Twain. To some of affection,
to some of love, but it is a symbol of deep, affectionate, emotional feelings. In this passage, from
The Rising Tide, John M. Barry conveys his feelings for the river, and the way in which he
does so is unusual, and quiet different from others. His fascination for the Mississippi River is
outlined with the utilization of his scientific knowledge to understand complexity, juxtaposition
within syntactical strategies, as well as similes that encompass powerful comparisons.
Everybody in the world has fields. Like doctors, lawyers, and engineers, everybody has
specialties; they have things that they are either better than others at, or have a lot of knowledge
in. John M. Barry uses his forte of science to illustrate his passion for the Mississippi River that
roots from the complexity of this natural phenomenon. He writes, Surface velocities, bottom
velocities, midstream and mid-depth velocities are all affected The use of scientific jargon
and the mentioning of concepts that are paradoxical to the layman further prove his passion of
the river due to the fact that the complexity of the Mississippi exceeds that of nearly all. Due to
his aforementioned knowledge where Barry displays his scientific understanding, we, the
readers, already have established that Barry is a man of science. It can also be deduced by
general assumptions that people of science find satisfaction in complexity, and they seek refuge
in solving the unsolved, understanding the unknown. Therefore, by utilizing his scientific
knowledge, establishing his scientific character and conveying the complexity of the Mississippi,
Barry communicates his passion.
An additional technique that Barry uses to successfully illustrate his passion for the Great
Mississippi is his carefully chosen sentence structure. For example, in the third paragraph, Barry
writes, The Mississippi never lies at rest. It roils. It follows no set course. He further writes, It
never has one current, one velocity. John M. Barry masters juxtaposition in his syntax, or
sentence structures. Simple short, snappy sentences are being used as antithesis for something
that is not only long, but highly complex as well. By doing this and employing such strategies,
John M. Barry emphasizes the length of the river, indirectly. He compares two things of different
natures and opposite characteristics so the reader could visualize a phenomenon with a clearer
understanding. This mimics the notion in life that you do not appreciate something until you
compare it to the opposite, and that is exactly what John M. Barry does here when he compares a
complex river to a simple sentence.
Barry presents the Mississippi River as being lively, or full of life through similes comparing the
complex scientific features of the Mississippi with everyday activities. The surface of one part of
the river might be higher than another, so Barry illustrates an image of the river trying to devour
itself. The author presents a river that moves south in layers as rope made of discrete fibers.
Further, into the third paragraph, John M. Barry presents the idea the Mississippi is an uncoiling
rope, or even a whip, lending a body of water an actual life; Barry lends the Mississippi a role
in society. These similes personify the Mississippi River and makes its actions more pulsating as
a whole. By making the entire situation real, by presenting phenomena as real life, John M. Barry

Mustafa Arshad
English 2 PAP
5/21/2016
Period 5

makes us aware of not only the Mississippi River, but also his passion of the Mississippi River
lying in the complexity and reality that it defies.
John M. Barry is anything but an amateur writer. His love, passion, and utter feelings for the
Great Mississippi River are conveyed tactically. Barry, firstly, uses his scientific background to
establish his understanding to the reader. This is followed by how complex the river is, and
hence, his passion for it. He uses juxtaposition in sentences to versus the sentence structure
against the river itself, and so coerces the reader into understanding Barrys passion. Lastly,
John M. Barry effectively uses similes to compare the actions and characteristics of the Great
Mississippi with real life, everyday things that we as a society interact with, again, emphasizing
his passion due to complexity.