Analyzing The Article 'Shout It From The Rooftops'

Justin Gomes

Dr. Marc Plamondon

ACAD 1601: WI804

April 19, 2023

The Dangers of Noise Pollution

The article "Shout It from the Rooftops" written by Coco Khan, discusses an issue that often goes unnoticed about the dangers of noise pollution in our cities. As someone who has lived in a busy urban area, I can agree to the constant presence of noise and the way it has become an accepted part of daily life. The author argues that noise pollution is a class issue, with lower-income residents being the most acutely affected by noise pollution, and that city leaders need to take action to implement noise reduction policies. I fully agree with the author that it is time to make some noise about this issue and take concrete steps to address it

The article

Khan highlights that “Hearing loss, shortened life expectancy (the WHO estimates one million healthy life years are lost to noise in western Europe alone), an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, anxiety, depression and type 2 diabetes.” (Khan, Paragraph 2). In addition to this, Khan states that studies are being done in order to determine whether there is a link between a child’s cognitive development and behavioral issues in comparison to the noise levels that surround them. For example, something as simple as traffic noise has been proven to be a high physiological stressor and its effects have been compared to that of secondhand smoking. However, the essay argues that the noisier the environment is the more hazardous it becomes because not all families are able to afford to

One of the devices she employs is the use of anecdotes, which adds a personal touch to her writing and makes the topic more relatable to readers. For example, in the first paragraph, she shares a story about her aunt who complains about noise pollution, using this as a way to introduce the topic and draw the reader in. Khan also uses statistics to support her argument and provide evidence for the harmful effects of noise pollution. For instance, she states the fact that London is one of the noisiest cities in Europe and that residents are regularly exposed to unsafe levels of noise (paragraph 2). She also mentions the World Health Organization's safety threshold for noise and highlights the fact that exposure to noise can result in hearing loss, shortened life expectancy, and increased risk of heart attack, stroke, anxiety, depression, and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, Khan uses allusions, such as Chekhov's gun, to create vivid imagery for the reader. By referencing this literary device, she emphasizes the significance and potential danger of noise pollution, connecting it to an object in a play that is introduced in the first act and goes off in the final