Evaluative Essay 1
“Ballot or the bullet” was a speech delivered by Malcolm X, an African American to the American public in 1964 (Jake Wisser, 2012). The speech aimed to motivate African Americans to stay united and joined the Civil Rights Movement in order to strive for their rights and vote and stop disfranchisement. In my opinion, it is a good and persuasive speech, in terms of the use of rhetorical devices and the construction of audience awareness.
In the first place, Malcolm X made good use of rhetorical devices to reinforce the key arguments and push his arguments forward. Repetition is used frequently throughout his speech “The Ballot or the bullet”. The repetition or restatement of an idea not only promotes clarity, but also encourages the acceptance of an idea (Cold Fusion User Group, 2000). For example, with reference to the speech, “So we’re trapped, trapped, double-trapped, triple-trapped. Anywhere we go we find that we’re trapped.” The term “trapped” repeated for five times within two sentences. Not only did it created a literal effect, it also helped reinforce the idea that the African Americans were “trapped” in the American society. By repeating the word “trapped”, it was reminded that they were trapped on the island of isolation and suffered from social discrimination. They were often deprived of basic human rights and dignity. As a result, it aroused audience’s attention and encouraged them to recap and accept the idea that they were “trapped” and unfairly treated. This also facilitated the flow of Malcolm X’s speech, in which it pointed to the need of Civil Rights Movement to fight for their rights and equality. Then, the later part of the speech moved on to talk about the means to fight for rights and justice. This helped Malcolm X to push his argument forward.
In addition, Malcolm X employed contrastive words to deliver his message in a more vivid way. From the speech, Malcolm X stated that “I see no American dream; I see only an American nightmare”.
In the first place, Malcolm X made good use of rhetorical devices to reinforce the key arguments and push his arguments forward. Repetition is used frequently throughout his speech “The Ballot or the bullet”. The repetition or restatement of an idea not only promotes clarity, but also encourages the acceptance of an idea (Cold Fusion User Group, 2000). For example, with reference to the speech, “So we’re trapped, trapped, double-trapped, triple-trapped. Anywhere we go we find that we’re trapped.” The term “trapped” repeated for five times within two sentences. Not only did it created a literal effect, it also helped reinforce the idea that the African Americans were “trapped” in the American society. By repeating the word “trapped”, it was reminded that they were trapped on the island of isolation and suffered from social discrimination. They were often deprived of basic human rights and dignity. As a result, it aroused audience’s attention and encouraged them to recap and accept the idea that they were “trapped” and unfairly treated. This also facilitated the flow of Malcolm X’s speech, in which it pointed to the need of Civil Rights Movement to fight for their rights and equality. Then, the later part of the speech moved on to talk about the means to fight for rights and justice. This helped Malcolm X to push his argument forward.
In addition, Malcolm X employed contrastive words to deliver his message in a more vivid way. From the speech, Malcolm X stated that “I see no American dream; I see only an American nightmare”.