Rhetorical Analysis Of Gender Equality Is Your Issue Too

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The Rhetoric used in “Gender Equality Is Your Issue Too”

After a little more than a month that she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for U.N. Women, Emma Watson, best known for playing the character of Hermione Granger in the 'Harry Potter' film franchise, gave a powerful and emotional speech at the U.N. Headquarters where she launched the HeForShe campaign. It was a personal reflection on feminism, gender, equality, and activism. She revitalizes the feminist movement with this successful speech, verifying her credibility, appealing to the emotions of viewers and giving statistics and facts that reinforce her argument. The speech went viral immediately after launched online.

The context of this speech is a time where the genders are most …show more content…

She says, “I was appointed six months ago and the more I have spoken about feminism the more I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop (Watson).” Additionally, the fact that she is a celebrity, who worked hard since she was just a little girl, gives Watson likeability and respect. Later, the speech becomes more inspirational when she says "You might think, ‘Who is this Harry Potter girl? What is she doing at the U.N.?’ And it’s a good question I’ve been asking myself the same thing." Introducing her self-doubt, at the same time shows that the cause means a lot to …show more content…

Watson allows the speech to be persuasive to her audiences by expressing her genuine feelings. She helps herself to engage the public, sprinkling many personal histories, recalling times when she felt sexualized and faced inferior expectations because she was young and girl or when she says "When I was 8, I was confused for being called bossy because I wanted to direct the plays that we would put on for our parents, but the boys were not." Emma speaks directly to listeners and uses ‘you’, ‘me’, ‘us, and ‘we’ as another way to engage the audience by speaking directly to them instead of doing it impersonally. When the issue is personified, it allows intensifying the sympathy and compassion felt by the audience to the speaker. When Watson asked why “feminism is an uncomfortable word” allows the public to reflect upon themselves. Also when she says “Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive. Why is the word such an uncomfortable one? (Watson)” use self-reflection and she is also using Pathos. She shows how women who fight for their rights often be seen as extremists who go against

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