A Rhetorical Analysis Of Speech By Florence Kelley

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At the women's suffrage meeting in 1905, Florence Kelley aims to recruit the power of men in order to "increase" the odds for children enslaved by child labor. Throughout her speech, Kelley continues to remind her audience of the audacity that is child labor by developing a compelling argument against it. Florence Kelley relentlessly tugs on the heartstrings of teachers and mothers of the association in hopes of kindling the fire that is change. To begin, Florence Kelley utilizes emotional appeals vigorously to ensure that the women fully comprehend the severity of child labor. She implements the urgency of the situation by stating that "two million children under the age of sixteen years are earning their bread". Despite her playful delivery by including a pun, Kelley uses this reference to encourage the listeners to consider the hardships of the adolescent victims. She goes on to add that "they are in commerce, in offices, in manufacturing". By noting this asyndeton, she reminds the audience that young girls will continue to "toil" closer to …show more content…

She remains hopeful when declaring her solution. She reassures the listeners that they possess the "right to petition" and can " enlist working men on behalf of our enfranchisement". These two statements unveil Kelley's ultimate goal: women's rights. She establishes unity once more by including herself when saying "we do not wish this". This utterance solidifies that the teachers and mothers support Kelley's proposal to recruit men to promote women's rights. In summation, Florence Kelley uses her persuasive plea to convince women to draft the men around them so that women can achieve voting rights. The reader can only hope that this suggestion resolves this ludicrous dilemma. "While we sleep," the reader will continue to ponder the statistics that proceed to "increase" regarding child labor in

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