After an extreme
winter season this year in Wisconsin, I found myself wondering what a life in
sunny, hot Florida might be like. After doing some web surfing, I realized I
would have to prepare for many new changes if I decided to make the move. A
friend of mine mentioned that I would have to know what to do in case of a
hurricane. After visiting http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes, I noticed the plain language used because of my prose
style and editing English class, in which we discuss different types of prose
style, their uses, and their effects.
Plain style prose is often used to be more accessible and reach a
broader audience. It is supposed to be meant to be clear, concise, and lacking
ambiguity. A closer look at the ‘Before a Hurricane’ tips on the government-run
website, I found that I was more confused by the time I finished reading, as
indicated by the many question marks in my GoogleDoc
analysis. The plain style asks the question of “who is kicking whom?” In other
words, plain style language should clearly indicate who or what is completing
an action. An example is the following tip from the page: “Identify levees and dams in your area and determine whether they
pose a hazard to you.” ‘You,’ or in other words, the reader, is the ‘who’
aspect and the action is to ‘identify’ and ‘determine.’ It is simple language.
It makes sense. The wording is not ambiguous… or so it seems.
When I started thinking about the activity systems surrounding
the context, I started to wonder who exactly would be actively seeking out this
information. I was looking it up because I was seriously considering moving to
Florida and wanted to be as prepared as possible. Natives of Florida may
already know this information because they are used to it and have lived there
their whole lives. I feel that they would not be the type who would visit this
website. I came to the conclusion that people who would look up this
information would be possibly people like me, who are considering moving to a
place with hurricanes, or recently moved individuals that need to prepare. I
tried to look for ads that would be on the website that may indicate who the
audience might be to no avail. Because it is government sponsored, the closest
thing to an ad was a box, indicating to sign a pledge showing that you are
prepared for any natural disaster.
So, if people who are unfamiliar with what to do in case of a
hurricane uses this information, I felt the tips were easy to understand, but
the actual implementation of these tips was anything but. The second tip, “Know
your surroundings” is extremely vague. Even if you do “know” your surroundings,
what action is required? There is an implied action involved that is not
stated. I understand that it is good to be aware of your surroundings, but
there is no direction as to what to do if you feel your surroundings are
dangerous. Another tip states, “Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof
to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.” I am capable of many
things, but I do not know how I would go about doing this if I lived by myself.
“Install a generator” is another tip offered. How would I go about doing this
myself? Would I need a professional? Who would I contact? The second-to-last tip
was the one that confused me most. It says, “If in a high-rise
building, be prepared to take shelter on or below the 10th floor.” It directly
contradicts the fifth tip that states to “find higher ground.” It confused me
because I know that in the midst of a hurricane, you are supposed to be not
close to ground level to not be in danger of drowning. I think that high-rise
buildings are unstable due to heavy winds, which is why it is recommended to
not go up as high as you can in those types of buildings. However, I still
don’t understand why you would want to stay at the tenth floor or lower. I understood the goal was to be
elevated from the water as much as possible.
These questions obviously require more research, which I don’t
think was originally intended when the authors created the webpage. They
certainly utilized the plain style in order to reach a broad audience and
intended ease for readers. When looked at more critically, it seems as unclear
as an official style piece, in terms of implementing these tips. I found it
strange as well that it was not offered in Spanish or any other language for
that matter. If I, a native-born English speaker, am struggling with these
concepts, what about others who do not speak the language? Since it is a
government site, I find this very discouraging. After all, America is said to
be ‘the melting pot’ of all cultures, and Florida is very diverse especially in
bigger cities like Miami.
The problem I have with this website and style of writing is
that it is potentially putting lives at stake. The web page provides tips about
how to save lives, while disregarding other races and ethnicities, even if it
is very subtle. I do not think that this was the direct intention, however, it
came across as being exclusive more than it was inclusive, when looked at with
a critiqued eye. There is a plethora of natural disaster information elsewhere
on the website, but if I do end up moving, I think that I would be better off
asking a local what exactly to do in case of a hurricane. Prose style does
matter! In this case, it has the potential to save lives if well written.
Madeleine G.
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