Rhetorical Analysis Of Alfred M. Green's Speech

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During the time of the Civil War, the United States was divided on many issues; one of the issues being the issue of slavery. The North was fighting against the heinous act of imprisoning someone for life for self-gain and the South was fighting to preserve this heinous act. The North needed all the warriors of freedom as possible, which is why Alfred M. Green gave a speech in Philadelphia in April 1861 to get his fellow African Americans to join the union and fight be the warriors of freedom that the North needed them to be in this fight against slavery. But, there is a problem in recruiting people to leave their lives and go fight in a gruesome war -- people fear for their lives. To avoid this fear and get African Americans to fight in this war, Green utilizes two unionizing rhetorical strategies in order to dismantle this fear …show more content…

Throughout his speech, Green employs the usage of the effective rhetorical strategy -- asyndeton -- in order to compel his audience to join the fight against slavery. Green utilizes asyndeton to begin his fifth paragraph: “Let us, then, take up the sword, trusting in God, who will defend the right, remembering that these are other days than those of yore; that the world today is on the side of freedom and universal equality; that the war cry of the howling leaders of Secession and treason”(Lines 36-41). When Green preaches to his audience, the constant stoppage of his words, couples with the meaning -- emotional appeal -- behind the words -- that they must fight for something bigger than them; they must fight for freedom and equality -- in order to achieve his desired purpose of persuading his fellow African Americans to join the fight against slavery. But, this alone does not persuade the audience to join the fight against the heinous acts of slavery, Green must unify his audience in order to draw more people to be recruited and fight as one

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