Rhetorical Analysis Of Malala Yousafzai Speech

749 Words2 Pages

Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. It is the very same “legacy of change” that Nelson Mandela used that inspires what Malala Yousafzai does today. At the age of 15, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating for girls’ education. Since this appalling incident, Malala has gone on to be the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize, start the “Malala Fund”, that funds education in developing countries, and is currently the figure of women’s rights. Malala has been constantly speaking, advocating and helping women and children acquire the rights they deserve. In her powerful speech to the U.N, she opened the world’s eyes to the truth about education …show more content…

She uses illusions and allusions by saying “We realize the importance of light when we see darkness.” and, “This is the compassion that I have learnt from Muhammad-the prophet of mercy, Jesus christ and Lord Buddha. This is the legacy of change that I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.” She uses a metaphor of “light and darkness” to show how we realize the importance of our voice when we cannot use it and need it the most. She additionally refers to famous icons and leaders of religion to compare herself to. Malala also gives statistics, saying 57 million children are not receiving the education they deserve. She makes the audience face the honest truth and continues to build her argument by saying, “The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them.” She uses this to connect education with women’s rights and how society treats women differently. Malala uses anaphora effectively, as well. With her repetition of the words “their right” in the 6th section of her speech, she passionately gets her point across, making us feel just as passionate. With Malala’s ability to speak confidently on this subject, she tries to unite us by using “We” and “Us”. Malala urges us to start a revolution, to join her in bringing change. This makes the audience feel as if she needs you personally, to help her cause. She also gains sympathy by mentioning the women and children struggling from

Open Document