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Rhetorical Analysis Of Nonviolent Protest

Decent Essays

We see brutality everywhere, we approach a problem with the easy way out, violence. That's the solution we all resort to when we see no change or when we feel that the injustices that have been done are too much to go unanswered for. Civil rights activist Cesar Chavez published an article claiming that nonviolent resistance has always been more beneficial than violent protest. Chavez’s purpose in this article is to advertise the negative effects of violence and provide a solution for it. In his article Chavez uses an inspirational and objective tone to illustrate how the effects of nonviolent resistance over time outweigh those of violent protest, he creates an appeal to emotion, logic, and authority to persuade followers of God, minorities, and people who have suffered injustices that have gone unanswered for. Chavez uses many rhetorical devices, the most prominent being: repetition, rhetorical questions and allusions to explain why nonviolence protest is better to accomplish their efforts.
To start off Chavez uses an allusion when he mentions Dr. King, and his belief in the power of nonviolent resistance. “Dr. Kings entire life was an example of power that nonviolence brings to bear in the real world.” Chavez also uses Ghandi, a person well known for his strong support of nonviolent protest, to point out that “the most nearly perfect instrument of nonviolent change” the boycott.” By alluding to these people known best for their strong belief in nonviolent resistance Chavez establishes a sense of trust in his audience, allowing them to trust his ideas and make his purpose, which is to persuade readers of this religion magazine to support nonviolent resistance, easier to get across.
Chavez appeals to his readers sense of religious duty when he mentions that God mandates life, “Our conviction is that human life is a very special possession given by God to man and that no one has the right to take it for any reason or for any cause.” Not only does this instill a sense of duty for his religious readers but also by depicting violence as vile and horrible he persuades this with even a tiny bit of humanity that nonviolent resistance is the most moral and humane way to bring change about. Later in Chavez appeal to

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