Caesar Chavez Rhetorical Analysis

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Caesar Chavez in Class Essay Although most people would find violence a necessity to gaining what they want, Caesar Chavez recognizes the benefits of nonviolent resistance. Violence is the instinctive reaction people have to a variety of situations. This was often the case with opposing views people had during the Civil Rights Era. In a magazine of religious organization the author Chavez emphasizes how nonviolent resistance will earn them equal rights with little to no bloodshed through the use of several rhetorical devices. One such way Chavez counters the need for violence is by using ethos and pathos. By starting off with talking about the legend of Dr. King Chavez establishes himself as an expert on Civil Rights and how nonviolence is the course of action that people need to take. This creates the credibility, or ethos needed for Chavez to …show more content…

Chavez couples the ethos with pathos, one such way he uses pathos is to make his audience recall what violence generates. Violence leads to blood and death and Chavez makes this clear by stating “However important the struggle is and however much misery, poverty, and exploitation exist, we know that it cannot be more important than one human life.” Not only does this statement help people understand that violence leads to death, it also speaks of the value of a single life. Chavez never points out which side the death would be on due to the fact the loss life can be on either side. This makes people stop and think because nothing is worse than the death of a family, friend or even a neighbor. This encourages the audience not to fight with violence. Reminding people of the negative emotion caused by loss that they could experience will make them reconsider the use of violence rather than

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