Rhetorical Analysis: Land Of The Free. And The Home Of The Slaves

A rhetorical analysis “breaks a work of nonfiction into parts and then explains how the parts work together to create a certain effect—whether to persuade, entertain or inform ” (“Rhetorical Analysis”). There are in fact many stakeholder organizations that implement this technique to effectively convey their argument through the use of several rhetorical appeals such as ethos, pathos, logos and kairos. Stakeholders are organizations or individuals who have a stake in or “care about any given issue, topic, or event” (Browning 45). One such organization is the Polaris Project which is “a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery” (Bouchard). Their mission statement explicates their attempts to put an end to these acts of brutality …show more content…
Elements of pathos in this image include the use of large text, irony and a color scheme that any American would recognize and associate with. The color scheme and the image of the world in a pair of hands plays a major role in the effectiveness of the visual argument. The image with the world in a pair of hands makes the audience feel a sense of obligation to partake in the abolition of modern slavery. The use of the text “Land of the Free...and the Home of the Slaves” is a play on words. Furthermore, the use of the American flag in the center of the world that is in black and white labels America as the protector of the earth but we are not in fact doing our job. Finally, the distinct blue line along with the white and red text brings a sense of patriotism. The elements in both of these images effectively convey the visual argument to their …show more content…
Logos is the “appeal to logic” (Lane 13). In both of these images, the elements of logos include the use of striking statistics. In the first image, it states that “Human trafficking was reported in all 50 states last year.” The use of the number fifty versus any other number makes the audience feel more concerned. Due to the fact that there are fifty states in the United States, this fact is striking and concerning. In Image 2, the use of a large number is captivating. These elements of logos aid in the development of an effective argument.
The final rhetorical appeal that aids in the development of an effective argument is kairos. Kairos is “knowing what is most appropriate in a given situation” or an “attempt to persuade through appeals of timeliness” (Pantelides 22). In Image 1, the words “Stop modern slavery.” are stated and in Image 2, “To take action call” their phone number or visit their website. These kairotic approaches create a sense of urgency in the audience. This rhetorical appeal finalizes the argument; to make the audience feel a sense of obligation to help combat human