Rhetorical Analysis: “The Danger of Silence”
Silence is a phenomenon that is not always easy to comprehend. In some cases, it is part of human nature to remain silent even when it is necessary to find the courage to speak. This idea is what Clint Smith discusses in his TEDTalk entitled, “The Danger of Silence”, where he explains how important it is to speak out against the injustices that have taken reign over the world today. Smith uses a variety of rhetorical strategies to convey his idea by developing significant verbal and visual elements in the video. He utilizes carefully chosen descriptions to reinforce specific appeals throughout the text to convince the listener to spend every day as if there were a microphone hidden underneath his …show more content…
The diction throughout the piece is strong, each word carefully chosen to create the largest impact on the reader. “I couldn’t use my locker for weeks,” remarks Smith, “because the bolt on the lock reminded me of the one I had put on my lips when the homeless man on the corner looked at me with eyes merely searching for an affirmation that he was worth seeing” (Smith). This word choice allows the reader to visualize having a bolt tightened between his or her lips and recognize the guilty and morose tone that Smith attempts to convey throughout the piece.
In addition to the thoughtful word choice, Smith uses metaphors near the end of the talk to augment his understanding of language. “Silence is the residue of fear,” he says (Smith), “Silence is Rwandan genocide. Silence is Katrina” (Smith). By using these metaphors, Smith is increasing his impact with the audience, directly relating his idea of silence to examples of how these silences can manifest themselves in real …show more content…
Directly after using the quote that increased his logos, Smith mentions that, “Every day, all around us, we see the consequences of silence manifest themselves in the form of discrimination, violence, genocide, and war” (Smith). This declaration is an example of the logical fallacy known as post ergo propter hoc, which literally means “after this, therefore because of this.” The inclusion of this statement expresses to the audience that silence is the cause of different types of cruelty in the world, which is an exceptionally hasty conclusion. Nonetheless, logos is certainly not the only, or most effective, appeal present in this
Silence is a phenomenon that is not always easy to comprehend. In some cases, it is part of human nature to remain silent even when it is necessary to find the courage to speak. This idea is what Clint Smith discusses in his TEDTalk entitled, “The Danger of Silence”, where he explains how important it is to speak out against the injustices that have taken reign over the world today. Smith uses a variety of rhetorical strategies to convey his idea by developing significant verbal and visual elements in the video. He utilizes carefully chosen descriptions to reinforce specific appeals throughout the text to convince the listener to spend every day as if there were a microphone hidden underneath his …show more content…
The diction throughout the piece is strong, each word carefully chosen to create the largest impact on the reader. “I couldn’t use my locker for weeks,” remarks Smith, “because the bolt on the lock reminded me of the one I had put on my lips when the homeless man on the corner looked at me with eyes merely searching for an affirmation that he was worth seeing” (Smith). This word choice allows the reader to visualize having a bolt tightened between his or her lips and recognize the guilty and morose tone that Smith attempts to convey throughout the piece.
In addition to the thoughtful word choice, Smith uses metaphors near the end of the talk to augment his understanding of language. “Silence is the residue of fear,” he says (Smith), “Silence is Rwandan genocide. Silence is Katrina” (Smith). By using these metaphors, Smith is increasing his impact with the audience, directly relating his idea of silence to examples of how these silences can manifest themselves in real …show more content…
Directly after using the quote that increased his logos, Smith mentions that, “Every day, all around us, we see the consequences of silence manifest themselves in the form of discrimination, violence, genocide, and war” (Smith). This declaration is an example of the logical fallacy known as post ergo propter hoc, which literally means “after this, therefore because of this.” The inclusion of this statement expresses to the audience that silence is the cause of different types of cruelty in the world, which is an exceptionally hasty conclusion. Nonetheless, logos is certainly not the only, or most effective, appeal present in this