A Rhetorical Analysis Of Cesar Chavez

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” -Gandhi In 2016, the people of America and the world as a whole grew accustomed to violence. After seeing the tragic stories of injustice and death daily on the news, we, the average American citizen, have accepted that the fact that there is nothing that we can do to make a difference in the world. However, this is not the truth. There is plenty that can be done if we all work together in a nonviolent manner, as Cesar Chavez confirms in his essay about peaceful protest. Using reasoning tactics such as allusion, emotion, as well as cause and effect, Chavez convinces the reader that there is, in fact, a way to stand up for our rights without hurting other’s.

By using allusion, Chavez forces the reader to recall previous events where violence was not the answer. In this essay, Chavez references several events in US history, including Martin Luther King’s fight for equal rights in the 1960’s; “Dr King’s entire life was an example of the power that nonviolence brings to rear in the real world.” (Line 1) By referring to this important event in America’s history, Chavez makes the reader realize how important nonviolence really is, and how it truly can make a change. Chavez also references the farm worker’s movement, known as the UFW (United Farm Workers), which was a movement also in the 60’s to protect the rights of Mexican laborers. Chavez played a major role in this union, and by mentioning it, he shows that if a multitude of weak individuals work together, they can also make a change for good, which applies to anyone reading this essay, no matter what era they are reading it