Cesar Chavez Speech Analysis

After the assassination of nonviolence supporter, Martin Luther King Jr., acts of violence ironically broke out. On the tenth anniversary of MLK’s assassination, Cesar Chavez released an article in a religious magazine asserting his stance supporting nonviolence. Chavez exudes his beliefs supporting non violence and convinces his audience through the use of diction that unites his audience, and appealing to the audience's emotions. Channeling his audience's sense of national pride and promoting unity was effective in Cesar Chavez’s process of persuasion. Chavez strategically uses diction, such as, “we” “men”, and “Americans” that unites himself with his audience and promotes nationalism. Being a member of the upper class, Chavez automatically is above the large majority of his audience. This notion is shut down through the use of words that unite himself with his audience. Chavez also goes in more depth about the beliefs behind being an “American.” He does so by stating words such as, “justice”, and “freedom”, which make the audience proud to agree with Chavez, therefore agreeing with nonviolence. Chavez proclaims that if we partake in non violence, justice will be granted to us, giving an incentive to agree …show more content…
Chavez discusses a “possession given by God to man”, making the audience feel an obligation to comply with what God has given to man. Along with relating his cause back to God, Chavez also channels other respected figures to establish his ethos. Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. are referenced, which aid in building Chavez’s credibility. Along with asserting religion to channel the audience's, emotions, Chavez incorporates diction with a strong emotional attachment, such as “burdens”, “struggle”, and “demoralization” which make the audience more vulnerable and susceptible to agree with Chavez’s