According to Aristotle, rhetoric involves identifying something persuasive in order to convince the audience. In his speech, Obama starts by making reference to Martin Luther King Jr. He highlights the important role Luther played in the fight for the liberation of the Black Americans. However, he says that the monument does not honor Martin Luther alone, but also other fallen heroes who took part in the struggle for democracy.
This is an important way to begin his speech because it shows that he values Martin Luther’s contribution to the struggle for democracy and that he is determined to continue defending the ideals and values that Martin Luther stood for. According to Aristotle’s argument, that the primary goal of rhetoric is to persuade and convince the audience, Obama succeeds in convincing his audience that he is determined to defend all the Americans regardless of their color.
In his speech, Obama highlights the changes that have taken place in America after the success of the struggle that was launched by Martin Luther King Jr and others. For instance, he says that Americans enjoy the freedom that was achieved through the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr. He says that if it were not for the struggle pioneered by Martin Luther King Jr, the US would not have been where it is today.
The speech is appealing since it uses abstract ideas to help the audience identify with various experiences. For instance, the symbolic mention of an earthquake and a hurricane at the beginning of the speech helps the audience to relate the message with things they already know.
Aristotle argues that there are three artistic types of appeals in rhetoric. They include pathos, logos, and ethos. Obama succeeds in using these appeals in his speech. Pathos involves moving the audience by concentrating on their emotional side. In his speech, Obama explains to the audience how Martin Luther King Jr sacrificed for the sake of the Black Americans who were suffering. His struggles brought about many changes that enabled them to enjoy freedom.
However, despite all the sacrifices that he made to fight for democracy and bring discrimination to an end, he was not appreciated by all the people. Eventually, he died a brutal death like somebody who had never fought for democracy. The audience must feel sympathy for a person who sacrifices his life to fight for democracy but never enjoys it himself. Obama, therefore, succeeds in appealing to the emotions of the audience.
According to Bitzer, the primary goal of rhetoric is to alter reality. He also argues that rhetoric is persuasive in nature, and when people speak to their audience, they intend to persuade them and eventually alter reality. In his speech, Obama persuades the audience to follow the teachings of Dr. Luther, who insisted on the importance of oneness. He persuades the audience to change their attitudes and try to understand the pain and suffering of other people.
He tells them that even if they live good lives, they should think about their neighbors who live in deplorable conditions. The fight against poverty should be a collective responsibility. By persuading the audience to change their attitudes towards their friends and neighbors, Obama tries to change the reality that the American people live in.