Rhetorical Analysis Of Emma Watson's Keep Hope Alive

The planet Earth has been around for nearly 4.54 billion years, and till this day, the world still struggles in the field of achieving equality for each and every human being, no matter the gender or race. In the most recent years, two very important public figures, gave speeches in order to aid to this universal cause, and change the lives of each and every individual for the greater good. Emma Watson’s UN Women speech about Gender Inequality and Rev. Jesse Jackson’s “Keep Hope Alive,” both use multiple rhetorical devices and techniques in order to encourage unity in the act of moving forward to enforce equality. The well known actress, Emma Watson, and inspirational civil rights activist and politician, Jesse Jackson, gave powerful speeches

raising a call to action by providing a number of relatable personal experiences and worldly facts and events.

On March 22, 1988, Congress passed the Civil Rights Restoration Act which expanded the reach of non-discrimination laws within private institutions receiving federal funds. Widely nicknamed as “the Great Unifier” and “ The Conscience of the Nation,” American civil rights leader and bureaucrat, Jesse Jackson, gave another speech after his 2nd unsuccessful run for president at the Democratic National Convention on July 19 in Georgia, being sure to make people aware of the significance of hope.

Jesse Jackson talks to thousands of people, all who are wishing for better lives. He encourages them to stop wishing and start doing.

Jackson appeals to the audience’s emotions to make the audience feel proud of the unity the nation has achieved so far: “I see the face of America: Red, Yellow, Brown, Black and White. We are all precious in God’s sight-- the real rainbow coalition. All of us...Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lies only a few miles from us tonight. Tonight he must feel good as he looks down upon us. We sit here together...to decide the direction of our party and our country. His heart would be full tonight.” He refers to the infamous Martin Luther King Jr.’s, who also fought in the civil rights movement, popular speech, “I Have a Dream” and how he would be proud because his dream was slowly being made real. Later into the text, he points out multiple achievements along with important public figures and people who have helped the nation grow, but

acknowledges also that there is still room for improvement.

Jackson accentuates the idea of “common ground.” He makes the audience think of the importance of unity, and what more they are all capable of, together. He states, “We must do better... America is not a blanket woven from one thread, one color, one cloth. When I was a child growing up...grandmamma could not afford a blanket, she didn’t complain and we did not freeze. Instead she took pieces of old cloth...With sturdy hands and a strong cord, she sewed them together into a quilt, a thing a beauty and power and culture. Now...Farmers...Workers...Women...Students...Blacks and Hispanics...Gays and Lesbians...Conservatives and progressives...Be as wise as my grandmamma...We, the

people, can win.” With his powerful comparison to his grandmother’s quilt and consistent repetition of the two keywords “common ground,” he indicates that all the different people in the nation all serve as different “patches” in their “quilt of unity.” He demonstrates how this can help bring many benefits to their lives both individually and mutually. His personal story displays the message to the audience that we are all different, but we all want to reach a common goal, making them feel that they are all equal. Significantly, Jackson appeals empathetically to the audience showing that he “understands” everyone’s struggles, even if he is ‘famous’. By doing this, he relates with each individual in the audience and makes them feel as if they are not alone. Jesse Jackson proclaims, “ ‘Jesse Jackson, you don’t understand my situation. You be on television...’ They wonder... I have a story. I wasn’t always on television...You see, I was born of a teenage mother, who was born of a teenage mother...I know abandonment, and people...saying you’re nothing...and can never be anything...I understand.” The audience now understands how Jesse Jackson started from the bottom but still made it big. He shows that you can get through your suffering; your hard work will pay off in the end, making everything worth it. The audience realizes that anything is achievable if you don't give up and just “Keep Hope Alive!” which results in shouts of joy; a sign that the crowd is jubilant with Jesse Jackson’s moral.

According to The Huffington Post, the year of 2014 was described as a bad year for women, but a good year for feminism. During this time, the popular social trend #BringBackOurGirls had arose; this hashtag was created to be posted on social media to spread word of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping in Borno State, Nigeria, April 2014. Many important people and celebrities such as the 1st lady, Michelle Obama, had gotten involved in order to support the issue. Another supporter of this hashtag activism was british actress, Emma Watson. She is best known for her roles in youthful movies such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and all the movies in the Harry Potter series; adults may know her based on her more mature films like My Week with Marilyn and Noah. She, along with others, are yearning for civil justice for women; or on a broader note, gender equality. After being granted the honor of UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in July 2014, Watson gave a speech a couple months later at a special UN Women event on September 20, 2014 in New York, for the launch of the new HeForShe campaign. The audience consisted of several UN members and officials. Emma Watson persuaded the audience on how HeForShe was intended to better the world. With her background of activism to improve female rights, such as promoting education for girls in developing countries such as Zambia and Bangladesh, and her stunning intellect, the audience was more than willing to listen to what Watson had to say.

Watson implies that the only way to achieve change in the world with gender equality is to come together as a whole, put aside our differences, and get everyone involved. Without taking action, nothing will ever happen because this is everyone’s issue. Watson speaks against any bias the crowd may have by providing a logical explanation. Emma Watson expresses, “You might be thinking, ‘Who is this Harry Potter girl and what is she doing speaking at the UN?’ And it’s a really good question. I’ve been asking myself the same thing. All I know is that I care about this problem, and I want to make it better... and given the chance, I feel it is my responsibility to say something” Laughter is immediately drawn from the audience due to Watson’s Harry Potter reference because what she is saying is true! Individuals in the audience would be thinking, “she is just an average actor, what makes her so special that she must be the one to give a speech here?” She strengthens that connection between her and the audience because they realize that Watson is on the same page as they are. She also establishes a powerful motto for the movement: “If not me, who? If not now, when?” Watson shows that if she, a normal young woman, is this passionate about this cause, then others can be too. And it WILL make a difference. Watson also explains the superiority of the word Feminism by using a personal experience. She shows her moral character and talks directly to the audience as equals rather than just listeners. Watson says, “Feminism by definition... is the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes...my recent research has shown me that women are choosing not to identify as feminists... My life is a sheer privilege because my parents did not love me less because I was born a daughter...if you still hate the word, it is not the word that is important. It’s the idea and the ambition behind it, because not all women have received the same rights I have.” Watson clearly describes the positive influence feminism has had in her life. The repetition of “I think it is right “ asserts the righteousness of administering feminism. Watson emphasizes how drastically women are suffering based on the rights they don’t have and it makes both men and women in the audience feel as if they should want to do something to make it better instead of just focusing on the word feminism itself.
Emma Watson’s UN speech was the most effective, persuasive, and inspiring. She uses superb, mature language and word choice, showing her professionalism on this big, international issue. Watson’s speech perfectly demonstrates the well known phrase, “quality over quantity.” With Watson’s speech being 14 minutes long, and Jackson’s being approximately two hours, the point shown is that speeches don't have to be lengthy in order to be effective. Watson addresses exactly what goes through the audience's’ minds, and key issues in the equality spectrum of the world. She also has an very passionate and dedicated voice throughout the entire speech. When she states in the finale of her speech, “ We are all struggling for a uniting word, but the good news is, we have a uniting movement. It is called HeForShe. I invite you to step forward, to be seen and to ask yourself, ‘If not me, who? If not now, when,” she gives forth inspiration and a call to action. On the other hand, although it is great, Jesse Jackson’s speech is extremely extensive. People in the audience could easily lose interest especially with most of it involving topics about politics and historical events, things most people don’t usually find engaging. Sooner or later, people will get bored. It’s better to be quick and straight to the point rather than dragging on about a single point with news stories. Furthermore, Jesse Jackson used a lot of familiar and recognizable techniques in his speech that many people can say they have heard before; there were not much new topics or ideas. The name, HeForShe, hints at the meaning of true unification in the name itself. “He” represents men and/or boys, “For” represents supporting or fighting for, and “She” represents women and/or girls. In all, HeForShe means for males to unite with females to help reform amongst their rights and change the world for the better.