Rhetorical Analysis Of Monica Lewinsky's The Price Of Shame

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Sometimes there’s nothing more powerful than a personal story of tragedy and perseverance. With poise, humor and emotional pleas, Monica Lewinsky is able to captivate her audience through her narrative – one known to many in a public sense but far more vulnerable and moving when told through her private moments. Lewinsky’s speech, titled “The Price of Shame,” shares a broad call to action against cyberbullying and online harassment, highlighted by her own battles and a devastating tale of a young man who inspired her to finally speak out. Decades of silence create a sense of expectation among the audience. It also automatically captivate Lewinsky’s listeners as they hang on every word from someone they’ve heard so much about – but never from. Over the course of this paper, I will analyze Lewinsky’s TED Talk as a persuasive speech meant to galvanize listeners to recognize and actively combat cyberbullying in an age where many try to capitalize and profit on public humiliation. I will show how her persuasive style is effective with respect to her personal expertise and gut-wrenching stories, while also recognizing areas – like her call to action – where her argument could be strengthened and better delineated to …show more content…

She advocates that as more and more of our interactions move online, we need to be conscientious of our impact and bring compassion onto the internet. Lewinsky’s rhetoric with this propositional statement is strong, challenging the existence of how things are at this moment – the status quo (Keith & Lundberg 45). Her language is clear and the audience is in quick agreement because she established an emotional connection early. In this next section, I will look more closely at the way Lewinsky sets up her speech to effectively draw in her listeners before making powerfully making her argument for a better, more compassionate

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