Rhetorical Analysis Of Alfred M. Green's Inspirational Speech

Alfred M. Green uses persuasive techniques that are based solely on the emotions of the audience. Due to the fact that this was a speech, it is more influential to listeners that he chose using emotions of the audience to persuade the audience instead of using other persuasive techniques. The emotions of the audience is more commonly known as Pathos, within the Ethos, Pathos, Logos persuasive techniques that the greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle created. Green was presenting an inspirational speech and speeches are different than regular persuasive texts because they have to appeal to their audience more and if they do not, the audience would lose interest and not pay attention to the speech. Green can perfectly craft his words into appealing with the emotions of the

He first starts out the speech with making the African Americans feel as though fighting with the Union is the only logical thing to do and if they do not side with the Union, they are making an illogical decision. Green constructs the idea that all of his opinions is the only logical thing to do and it feels like agreeing with his opinion is the common thing to do and it would be very irrational and unreasonable to not agree with his opinion. Throughout the speech, he shows his audience what the correct thing to do in each situation such as the Dred Scott decisions or rethinking about George Washington and Andrew Jackson. Green makes the end result of all of these situations is to take arms and assist the Union in defeating the confederacy. This is further proven in the point with the final paragraph where Green concludes the speech with an inspirational tangent saying that fighting alongside with the Union is not only the only logical thing to do but each and every individual that helps fight against the Confederacy is able to impact the whole war and decide who the victor