Rhetorical Analysis Of Hillary Clinton

Rhetorical appeals and devices are extremely useful techniques to use when creating an effective argument. During this time period, women were still fighting for equal rights. Hillary Clinton addresses the many issues that women were dealing with at the time. This speech was important because at the time, Hillary Clinton was the First Lady of the United States and she was fighting for equal rights between both genders. On the whole, Clinton used many effective rhetorical devices, appeals and other elements, in order to persuade her audience and create an effective speech.
The strength of the women’s rights movement in the 1990s was gaining momentum. During this time, women in large numbers were dejected with the way they were treated and actively

working for real change. On the whole, Clinton used many rhetorical devices and appeals throughout this speech, in order to persuade her audience and create an effective speech.
Logos is the most important element of an argument because it incorporates factual data and furthers the argument with unbiased evidence. Clinton reinforces how serious the problem of unequal rights for women is when she states, “Women comprise more than half the world’s population, 70% of the world’s poor, and two-thirds of those who are not taught to read and write” (Clinton 2). Unmistakably, women struggle with equality and in this quote

Clinton reveals the statistics that identified how many women this problem impacts.

In a similar fashion, Clinton reveals the horrors which countless women face when she says, “It is a violation of human rights when a leading cause of death worldwide among women ages 14-44 is the violence they are subjected to in their own homes by their own relatives” (Clinton 4). Due to the factual evidence Clinton uses in her speech, it is easier to understand the issue that numerous women were fighting for.
Pathos is the most effective element in an argument because the speaker appeals to the emotions of the audience. In this case, Clinton uses pathos to elicit emotions such as sympathy and anger from her audience. For example, Clinton states, “It is a violation of human rights when babies are denied food, or suffocated, or their spines broken, simply because they are born girls” (Clinton 4). This statement shows the disgust that various women experience, simply because they are born female. As further evidence, Clinton mentions the unimaginable pain so many mothers endure when she says, “They are watching their children succumb to malnutrition caused by poverty and economic depression” (Clinton 2). In other words, numerous examples of pathos are used in this speech, which is a reason why the message resonates so well with many

people.
Ethos is a crucial appeal because it justifies that the speaker is a reliable source. Hillary Clinton provides many examples of ethos in her speech in an effort to earn the trust and respect of her audience with the goal to not only sympathize with her positions, but to hopefully agree and actively support her point of view. Clinton demonstrates her first-hand experience dealing with these issues when she states, “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families. Over the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing women in my own country and around the world” (Clinton 2). With this aim, Clinton provides numerous examples of interactions between her and women of all cultures who all experience life in a different way. Clinton states, “Tomorrow, I will be attending a gathering of the United Nations Development Fund for Women. There, the discussion will focus on local- and highly successful- programs that give hard-working women access to credit so they can improve their own lives and the lives of their families” (Clinton 2). It is through the production of this evidence that Hillary Clinton clearly justifies her dedication to the fight for equal rights for from all walks of life and all over the world.