A Rhetorical Analysis Of Mao's Last Dancer

In Cunxin’s autobiography Mao’s Last Dancer, he addresses his rags to riches life story. He argues how he has been cheated out of life, from being lied to by the Chinese government. Growing up he was taught and believed that communism was the best option, until he got the opportunity to train at The Houston Ballet in America. There he understood what freedom truly is, but quickly realized that way of living is not possible in China. Cunxin uses doleful experiences to appeal to our emotions, however, his argument lacks research. Instead, he uses prior knowledge of historical events while presenting a personal point of view. His appeals to pathos, logos, and ethos creates an effective argument for a need for independence in a communist society. Cunxin uses pathos that connects to his argument throughout his book to appeal to our emotions. Predominately he refers back to times when his family was struggling with poverty. “But no begging words were ever spoken because we all knew how difficult it was to get any food at all. There was simply nothing more to cook. My parents didn't know where the food for our next meal …show more content…
Cunxin lost track of time at the movies once and was tardy to a class resulting in being scolded by his teachers.“I don't care if you watch a hundred movies in your spare time, but classes and rehearsals are your learning opportunities.' I nodded. I knew I was unquestionably in the wrong.” (248) His instructor teacher Xiao was explaining to Cunxin how he has been given the opportunity of a lifetime and should not fiddle around. Not only does this argument made by Xiao appear logical to the reader, but it was also designed to be rational and convincing to Cunxin in his younger years. The logos that are utilized in his book are genuine, which appeals to the audience more seeing that they can connect to a personal story instead of just the