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Why Establish This Paper By Mary Ann Shadd Cary

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Mary Ann Shadd Cary’s editorial “Why Establish This Paper” persuades and promotes her cause to establish her newspaper by using many different rhetorical strategies. The rhetorical techniques or strategies she uses are the use of personification, anaphora, and pathos. Mary Ann first uses personification as her starting rhetorical strategy. She states in the first paragraph, “As the great country grows, we grow with it; as it improves and progresses, we are carried forward on the bosom of its onward tide.” Cary opens up her persuasive editorial with the human trait “bosom” given to the country. This gives more depth to the argument, implying that these civil right reformers stand with the country in their argument; they are not only doing this for themselves. Furthermore, Cary suggests that this newspaper is an inevitable cause of the growing country because “... as it improves and progresses, we are carried forward….” Mary provides ground to her cause by using the technique of personification. …show more content…

Throughout the essay, Cary uses the pronoun “we” to start off many of her sentences. Her use of “we” many times provides a rhythmic structure to keep readers interested in reading this editorial. It also indicates that not only does she believe that she should establish this newspaper, but many others do also, which gives a backup to strengthen her cause. A more specific example is when Cary states “We do not ask the friends of the Paper… We say it on our own responsibility….” Her use of “we” at the start here calms the other organizations by implying that no one means any harm to these organizations, and that these reformers will take their full responsibility. Cary speaks on the behalf of the reformers and defends them. The use of anaphora by starting with “we” makes the sentences seem more

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