Helen Keller Rhetorical Analysis

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Helen Keller is a hardworking individual who succeeds in life despite many hardships. Keller’s Address before the New York Association for the Blind on January 15, 1907 can be analyzed for evidence, reasoning, and stylistic and persuasive elements. Keller uses evidence, such as facts and examples, to support claims. She also uses reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence. Moreover, stylistic and persuasive elements, such as diction, and appeals to the emotion, such as pathos, ethos, and logos, are used to help add power to the ideas expressed. Keller’s great use of writing techniques help to add power to her speech and ideas. Keller states that, “In Boston, in a fashionable shopping district, the Massachusetts commission …show more content…

She states, “For New York is great because of the open hand with which it responds to the needs of the weak and the poor.” This is a use of ethos, as it relates to shared values and beliefs. Everyone would want to help the poor, weak, and blind if they can. Finally, in the end, Keller states, “I appeal to you, give the blind man the assistance that shall secure for him complete or partial independence.” An ambition is shown in this sentence as Keller encourages everyone to help other people if they can. Furthermore, this sentence appeals to the reader’s emotions, as everyone would feel sad about the life of the blind man. Currently, he does not enjoy the freedom and independence that everyone else is able to enjoy. Also, by stating that he needs a guiding hand in his, it shows that he really needs help and some love. As can be seen, the uses of pathos and ethos as stylistic elements help to grab the reader’s attention and help Helen Keller prove her argument while also adding a new style to her speech too. Overall, Helen Keller’s speech displays an argument that blind people are just as great as normal people and that people should care about blind people too. This speech also provides our world today with an important message. Everyone should take part in helping out other people and therefore help make the world a better and delightful place for

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