Rhetorical Analysis Of 'Sympathy' By Bryan Stevenson

Stevenson’s constant use of anecdotes creates a personal atmosphere for an audience that will likely not be able to relate to African American society or imprisoned individuals so that they can sympathetically approach the situation. These anecdotal “depictions vivify problems that are difficult to quantify,” especially to an audience that may have difficulty connecting to the speaker (Gring-Pemble 360). Sympathy arises from the situation that excites it, so listeners must use their imagination to ignite internal passions and put themselves in the perspectives of others (Smith 87). It is much easier to employ one’s imagination if the speaker delivers stories that the audience can picture and observe in their minds; Stevenson can thus disburden

some of his distress by sharing it with his listeners, as they attempt to understand the current discrimination against blacks in America. Also in a poetic narrative, “both truth and power are thus sublimated in the interest of the artistic endeavor,” so, again, the ideology need not be logical, just plausible (Lucaites and Condit). The last narrative describes a janitor who tells Stevenson, “I’m so proud of you,” after learning that he was in the courthouse not as a criminal, but as a lawyer (Stevenson). Stevenson’s final story about defying the expectations of the janitor in the courthouse again emphasizes the stereotypes for black men, but connects the audience to his journey to overcome those assumptions and represent others along the way.
Identity may serve as the root for racial discrimination, but the same concept of ideology unites Americans under common principles.

Bryan Stevenson, in his TED talk, addresses the need for the nation to understand the context of racial ideology through discourse and action. Stevenson aims to educate the TED community about the context of racism and presents his credentials for discussing the topic. The speaker presents statistics to demonstrate objective proof of racism but then personalizes the argument with anecdotes. Once the audience recognizes the hypocrisy in America involving the contradiction between racial prejudice and the “so-called” equality for all men, he can begin to challenge their views and offer insight for an improved society. Stevenson uses personal narrative to establish his ethos and evoke sympathy from the audience, since he is both a man who suffers from racial discrimination and an American. His identity allows him to speak on the topic, but that same identity limits his power to evoke change, so he turns to the audience to join him in creating an informed citizenry. Verbal irony, logical proofs, and anecdotes allow Stevenson to powerfully present the implications of identity and the ability the audience has to change society, using their very own identity

sympathetically.