Susan B Anthony Rhetorical Analysis

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Whether being said or being written, there is always a purpose behind the way words are utilized. Words, oftentimes, educate, inform, or even deceive the minds of individuals, but the true power they derive from has brought about the contribution of others resulting in effective outcomes. Although words hold many different purposes, its key motive is evident when used to sway an individual’s position in public controversial matters. The influence that writing and speech can induce, based on the use of words through diction, tone, and pathos, is what creates change in individual’s perspectives on social views. Beneficial to shaping the views on society related topics, one should consider the choice of diction to use. It is critical to choose …show more content…

When attempting to communicate an important message, it is extremely necessary to have some type of attitude expressed through your words. Conveying the right tone will not only draw people in but also make the speaker more plausible. One speaker who has succeeded in using tone to influence her audience was an advocate for women’s suffrage, Susan B. Anthony. In her speech, “On Women’s Right to Vote”, Anthony uses tone through her words to help relay the message that women who are citizens of the United States deserve the right to vote and run for office. For example, Anthony states that, “women are citizens; and no state has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities” (Anthony). Words like “enforce,” “law,” and “privilege,” help Anthony create a more formal and official tone making the speech sound more impressive. Her matureness as a speaker makes her argument sound intelligent which will only gravitate and sway the standpoints of more listeners and followers, especially those who are not women. Essentially, the authoritative tone is what influences individuals, and although the governments perspectives were not changed while Anthony was alive, it is still evident that the tone in her speech made everything more convincing and caused the government to reconsider their choices. Due to her influential words and actions, people’s perspective on social issues, like women’s rights, have changed

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