Rhetorical Analysis Of A Whisper Of Aids By Mary Fisher

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In the persuading article, “A Whisper of AIDS”, by the accomplished Mary Fisher, the author convincingly argues that the silence on the issue of AIDS is damaging to Americans. The author effectively and skillfully builds the argument by using a variety of persuasive and argumentative rhetorical techniques including but not limited to appeals to emotion, personification, and thought-provoking rhetorical questions through a careful arrangement of words.

In paragraph two, three, and four, the author successfully familiarise the reader with the “creature” known as AIDS by utilizing the literary device of personification of the disease. This is seen when she refers to the disease as one who “win[s]” to the public, one who “travels” and one who is a “creature”. By referring to AIDS as a beast, Fisher conceives a villainous aura around the disease. The persona she creates instills the idea that AIDS is out to hurt anyone and anything, disregarding their traits and political stances. The audience now can relate to her argument better than before because it gives them the impression that AIDS can strike them as well and become more …show more content…

This is seen when she asks, “Are you human?” and later answering the question with “They are human. They have not earned cruelty, and they do not deserve meanness.” By stating a self-evident question to the audience, Fisher exposes the horrible way AIDS victims were being treated – not anyway a human would be treated. The reader now realizes the severity of Fisher’s argument, is possibly persuaded to take action and is now much more aware of how they and others around them treat victims. This specific use of a rhetorical question serves a strong purpose by acting as a vehicle to draw the audience into the principal issue addressed in the

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