Rhetorical Analysis Essay Final Draft

Riley Kuester

11/1/22

AP Lang

For centuries, America has wrongfully divided the population- whether it be for one ' s ethnicity, color, or ways of self identification. Whatever it may be, the divide has left a dent in our way of life and interactions with each other However, this is a problem that can be overcome, with the help of the population that acknowledges the problem and seeks change. Seen as a pioneer of the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks defended and stood up for people of color, advocating for their rights On February 27th, 2013, then president Barack Obama, America’s first and only black president, gave a speech dedicating the Rosa Parks statue in the National Sanctuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol Family. In this address, president Obama honors Park by thoughtfully presenting the idea that anyone can make a change He does this through challenging common thoughts, providing detailed context, targeting emotional appeals, and implying common ground with personal pronouns

In his address, Obama introduces the argument with a personal anecdote He quotes a childhood friend, who describes Parks as a stubborn and determined character. “Nobody ever bossed [her] around and got away with it” (8) By providing this detail, Obama exemplifies how well-known and impactful Parks was to the common person. The personal aspect in his introductory statement serves as a hook to reel in the audience, then able to proceed with his argument and tribute.

Obama continues his address by thoughtfully and considerately providing context to Parks’ story. He recounts her uprising, and how her personal rioting on the bus on her way to work blossomed into a movement. He explains how she was told to give her seat up for a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, but she refused This led her to being arrested Her arrest on December 1, 1955 launched the Montgomery Bus

Boycott, where people stopped taking the public bus and instead walked or carpooled. By narrating this as if Obama is telling a story, such as inserting conversational dialogue and story-like transitions, the audience is able to see Parks on a personal level and better understand her impact on America. This provides Obama with a segway to his above all argument.

Obama challenges common beliefs about change by calling others out on assumptions and using pronouns such as “ we ” and “ us ” to include himself in the general body of people In his address, Obama presents the idea that we all accept problems by arguing that the common person can not change anything. When elaborating on this idea, he claims that “ we so often spend our lives as if in a fog, accepting injustice, rationalizing inequity, tolerating the intolerable ” , exposing the audience of their wrongdoings by putting a typically unexplainable phenomenon into dialogue (65-67). With this, the audience feels guilty, confirming the idea that people don’t seek change, unless it is directly opposing themselves Additionally, Obama uses pronouns that tie himself into this claim, exclaiming ideas such as “ we make excuses for inaction”, “ we see the way things are ” , and “ we say to ourselves that’s not my responsibility, there’s nothing I can do ” (69-74). By putting himself on the level of the people, and not one of an authoritative leader, the audience feels the sense of connection and relatability, providing evidence that they are not alone in their thoughts However, by addressing this in his speech, Obama presents reasonable evidence that anyone can make a difference

Obama, through challenging presumptions, targeting emotional appeals, and using personal pronouns, exemplifies the idea that anyone can make a change This was shown through Rosa Parks, who was simply a Montgomery resident that understood that there was a problem, and chose to do something about it Her actions initiated a change reaction that has led to a better world for everyone In our world today, people assume they are too insignificant to make a difference and do good. However, the story of Rosa Parks proves that this is merely a myth No matter who you are or what you stand for, you are important and you can make change.

Conclusion/Reflection

I would consider myself a good writer I believe that I have a strong vocabulary, and I can vary my sentence structure- mostly. Whilst doing this project- I didn’t feel like a good writer. Throughout the year, I could notice a decrease in my motivation to write a good piece of writing. This starts with my initial writer’s reflection. I thought that was good. My sentences were solid and it’s evident that I tried to get my point across and I did. However, as the semester progressed, it seemed I lost my will to write. Since the act itself became a chore, it wasn’t as fun and energizing as it used to be. That’s when it became easier to write short, choppy sentences with little to no structure. It was easier. Which is why I enjoyed creating the Found Poem and Where I’m From. The subject is simple and, inherently, poetry is simple. This is because poetry can be anything you want it to be. There doesn’t have to be any structure. Even now, I’m using choppy sentences to get my point across. Poetry can be no sentences, even. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy- it’s a complex principle in its roots. But it was easy and enjoyable to me. “Regular” writing wasn’t as enjoyable- which is why I decided to write about writer’s block. That piece was essentially just words on paper in my notebook- in my initial draft, I never went back to read, I simply wrote. It was the most enjoyable thing I had found myself writing in a very long time. It was almost therapeutic. This also ties into my argumentative piece- which wasn’t necessarily argumentative- it was on arguing It was an idea that was taken from my notebook, a recipe I picked this as a stem for my piece because it was short and choppy This reflection isn’t going in the direction I planned for it to go- it was supposed to end positively and show how I’m going to grow as a writer Maybe I’m just trying to be realistic I do love writing But I feel I only love it when I’m doing it for myself When I’m writing for school I’m simply writing to get it done I’m not writing for enjoyment anymore And I hate that If I were to give myself any goal as a writer for the second semester, it would be to stretch to find enjoyment where I usually wouldn’t What I mean by this is to take a normal writing assignment and try my best to see it as something besides just an assignment. To really enjoy