The ballot or the bullet speech: Rhetorical analysis

Instructions

Essay would be an Ethos, Pathos, and logos essay on Malcolm X′s speech the Ballot or the bullet

Solution Sample Paper

The ballot or the bullet speech rhetorical analysis

Name                                          

Date

Introduction

         Malcolm X uses Ethos, Pathos, and logos to appeal to the audience. Throughout the speech, he relies on them to appeal to the audience. Ethos, Pathos, and logos are incorporated in the speech in a way that it appeals to the audience emotions as well as appeals to their logic.  Through this, Malcolm X is able to deliver his message effectively, and in the process, he has a considerable impact on the audience. The speech played a crucial role in triggering the development of civil movements and increased focus on advocating for African American rights.

         The speech was delivered during a period that the African Americans were treated unfairly by the federal and the state government and therefore Malcolm X was of the idea that they should oppose the governmental operations (Williams, 12). Through this, the speech was more focussed on encouraging African Americans to fight for their rights.  The content of the speech was centered on the need to overcome manipulation by their own party as well as the United States government.

         One of the key aspects of the speech is the use of strong language or dialect to appeal to the audience.  For instance, in the speech “Right now, in this country, if you and I, 22 million African-Americans -- that's what we are -- Africans who are in America. You're nothing but Africans”.  The use of strong language is meant to convince African Americans to rebel and revolt unless they are treated in a more respectful manner.

         Throughout the speech, Malcolm X also relies on sarcastic elements to try and show how the African Americans are still exposed to unfair living conditions while united states still hold the perception that it is a free country and for all.  This is at the point where he indicates that “He's the earth's number-one hypocrite. He has the audacity -- yes, he has -- imagine him posing as the leader of the free world. The free world! And you over here singing "We Shall Overcome."

         Pathos is used to help in appealing to the emotion of the audience. In this case, Malcolm X is able to appeal to the audience by highlighting issues that are close to their heart and the impact that their movement is likely to have on their lives. Pathos is used in the speech to help in encouraging African American to stand up and to ensure that their children are proud of their actions (Venezia, 3). Through this, he challenges them to take a stand and ensure that they overcome unfair treatment that they are exposed to unless they want their children to be ashamed of their actions. As a result, he encourages African Americans to fight for their rights in order to generate a better future for their children. He indicates that “If you don't take this kind of stand, your little children will grow up and look at you and think "shame." The use of pathos, in this case, acts as a motivation to the parents or the audience who the speech was designed for.

         Another use of pathos is the point where he sarcastically refers to “American dream” as the “American nightmare due to the challenges that African American are exposed to. From his personal experience, he encourages the audience with the use of pathos to pursue their rights and attain their dream by striving to change the status quo. He says “I'm speaking as a victim of this American system. And I see America through the eyes of the victim. I don't see any American dream; I see an American nightmare.”

As a part of guiding beliefs, Malcolm X uses ethos in the speech. At the beginning of the speech, he clarifies that he is still mulish which shows his set of beliefs. This also shows that this is his ideology and that he has not diverted away from it. He indicates that “Before we try and explain what is meant by the ballot or the bullet, I would like to clarify something concerning myself. I'm still a Muslim; my religion is still Islam. That's my personal belief. “ This is important as it helps in ascertaining his position and his beliefs.  During the introduction, he emphasizes his point he names different ministers and speakers involved in fighting for equal treatment. This includes Dr. Martin Luther King and Adam Clayton who are Christian ministers but still engage in advocating for African Americans rights.  Through this, he can notify the public his credibility as a speaker and at the same time highlights other speakers who are involved in the civil right movement.

         Logos, in this case, emphasizes the need to persuade the audience by making sure that the speaker taps into the logic of the audience. He indicates that “No, I'm not an American. I'm one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism. One of the 22 million black people who are the victims of democracy, nothing but disguised hypocrisy.” Through this, he shows the number of people who are suffering as a result of unfair treatment by the United States government (Santoro, 208). Through this, he notifies the audience that he is a victim just like them.

         During this period, most African Americans were from the Democratic Party. In order to appeal to the audience, Malcolm X indicated that “In this present administration they have in the House of Representatives 257 Democrats to only 177 Republicans. They control two-thirds of the House vote. Why can't they pass something that will help you and me? In the Senate, there are 67 senators who are of the Democratic Party. Only 33 of them are Republicans (Malcolm X, 30).” Through this, he is able to use logic to show the African Americans who are Democrats that their own party does not have their welfare at heart. If the Democrats had their welfare at heart, there would have used their majority in both houses to pass the laws that will help in safeguarding their lives. This have an impact in the audience since they are aware of the fact that Democrats in Congress and Senate can come up with policies to help in improving their lives, but they are not willing to do so.  In order for Malcolm X to convince the audience on the reluctance of the Democratic Party to fight for their rights, he calls for the leader of the Democratic Party to show his solidarity with African Americans by taking his stand in Senate. He indicates that “The black nationalists aren't going to wait. Lyndon B. Johnson is the head of the Democratic Party. If he's for civil rights”. This appeals to the audience logic since through this they become aware of the fact that Lyndon B. Johnson has the capacity to influence in the Senate.

Conclusion

         The ballot or the bullet speech by Malcolm X had a significant impact considering that Malcolm X was able to appeal to the audience. Throughout the speech, there is a sense of urgency and the need to react to ensure that African Americans are recognized as Americans just like the white population. However, the huge impact of the speech is due to the use of rhetorical aspects such as the Ethos, Pathos, and logos.

Bibliography

Malcolm, X. "The ballot or the bullet." April 3 (1964): 23-44.

Santoro, Wayne A., and Max Fitzpatrick. "The Ballot or the Bullet”: The Crisis of Victory and the Institutionalization and Radicalization of the Civil Rights Movement." Mobilization: An International Quarterly 20.2 (2015): 207-229.

Venezia, Laura. "The Features of the Voice of African American Tradition: An Analysis of African American Rhetoric for the Influence of the Call Response Technique." (2010).

Williams, Jakobi. From the bullet to the ballot: The Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party and racial coalition politics in Chicago. UNC Press Books, 2013.