Hi, this is the Rhetorical Analysis essay that I wrote for my AP Lang & Comp class this year. If you don’t know what a Rhetorical Analysis essay is, it is a type of essay that is broken into a few different parts, the first part being establishing the rhetorical situation of the text. To establish the rhetorical situation, it is important to discuss the context of the situation, who the author is, who they are speaking to (the audience), and their message or purpose. The second part of the essay is where you start to analyze all of the writing choices that the author made, which can include but is not limited to anaphora, parallel structure, juxtaposition, contrast, and figurative language. Identifying a quote that showcases these choices is essentially the evidence of this essay, and it is then necessary to provide commentary. In this style of writing, the commentary that is used is either considered ‘close to the words’ or ‘connected to the rhetorical situation’. To write commentary that is ‘close to the words’, you pull out a few words or a phrase from a quote that you are using, and essentially discuss what those words mean to you. When drawing a connection to the rhetorical situation, you want to connect the commentary that you make to the first section of the essay, and you can use inferences if needed to further your point. It is imperative for this commentary to be very specific as well. The final part of the essay is sort of like a conclusion section, evaluating how the intended audience received the author’s text, and how you personally respond to the text. This section is going to be different for everyone, as we are all shaped by our experiences and beliefs, and see the world in our own unique way. I have left in the spacing so that the different sections are visible and it is easier to follow, I hope you enjoy:)
Section 1: Introduce text and establish the rhetorical situation:
Context (with some author too)
On October 9, 2012, Malala Yousafzai, age 15, was shot by a member of the Pakistani Taliban while on a bus home after taking an exam, for speaking up about education for girls. Even before this event, Malala was a very important young activist. In 2009, when Malala was 11, about a year after the Taliban took control of Swat Valley, she wrote a blog under her pseudonym Gul Makai for the BBC Urdu, detailing her life under Taliban occupation of Swat. In 2011, Malala received Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize. After Malala was shot, she rose in prominence. This attempt on her life brought about an international outpouring of support for her cause. Weeks later, a group of 50 leading Muslim clerics in Pakistan issued a fatwā (a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority) against those who tried to kill her. In response, the Taliban further denounced Malala, indicating plans for a possible second assassination attempt, which the Taliban justified as a religious obligation, which sparked international outcry once more.
Author
On December 10, 2014, Malala, now 17 years old, received the Nobel Peace Prize for Peace as she continued to speak up about women and girls’ rights to education in her home country and children’s rights to education around the world.
Audience
In her acceptance speech, Malala is directly addressing the world leaders that are present for the ceremony, as well as speaking to those watching, perhaps at home, perhaps in the crowd, perhaps years later.
Message/Purpose
She is making the case that every child should have access to and the ability to obtain quality, equal, and free education, no matter where they live in the world.
Section 2: Analyzing Rhetorical Choices (writing choices):
Malala uses multiple examples of contrast to emphasize the impacts of the Taliban on Pakistanis. In her speech, Malala says, “When I was in Swat, which was a place of tourism and beauty, [it] suddenly changed into a place of terrorism.” The word “beauty” is often associated with something that we find appealing to the eyes or pleasant to look at. The word “terrorism” brings to mind incidents of innocent civilians being injured by those in pursuit of political aims. When contrasted, these words show the Swat District in Pakistan before the Taliban and after the Taliban took control, one filled with lively people and one filled with scared citizens, especially women who have been stripped of their rights to education and their rights to work. Another example of Malala using contrast is, “One was to remain silent and wait to be killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed.” “Remain silent” brings to mind keeping one’s opinions to oneself and letting those in power do what they want. “Speak up” brings to mind voicing one’s thoughts on a certain matter, usually in an attempt to change something. When these words are contrasted, Malala is able to emphasize the importance of her speaking up and not staying quiet.This refers to the time when Malala wrote a blog under a pseudonym, detailing her life in Swat under Taliban occupation, which was widely spread by the news drawing more awareness to the conflict occurring in Pakistan.
Malala used imagery to emphasize that she is not alone in this cry for education. In her speech, Malala says, “…I am many… I am those 66 million girls who are deprived of education. And today I am not raising my voice; it is the voice of those 66 million girls.” The word “many” brings to mind a group of people, not one lone figure. “Deprived” is associated with lacking something that is considered important. By using imagery, Malala is able to emphasize that there are others who have been by her side during this fight and who will continue to fight until they have their rights back.Her father is an important figure who has been by Malala’s side the whole time, supporting her activism while also being an activist himself. He stands by her and supports her fight for education for all.
Malala uses anaphora to highlight the significance of ending the fight for education. In her speech, Malala says, “Let’s begin this ending… together… today… right here, right now. Let’s begin this ending now.” The word “begin” is often associated with performing the first action in a series of steps. The word “ending” brings to mind the final step, something that draws a conclusion. By using anaphora, Malala is able to show the significance of starting to bring this struggle for education to a close. She is able to show how crucial it is to unite against those who have taken individuals’ rights and those who continue limiting individuals’ opportunities such as the Taliban in their bombing of schools and the Taliban limiting women’s rights to work.
Section 3: Evaluation and Response:
Since Malala gave this speech in late 2014, there has been a surge in efforts by the UN, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the U.S. Government, and other organizations promoting education for all children, specifically girls. In March of 2015, just months after Malala gave her speech, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama launched a program designed specifically to promote education for girls aptly titled Let Girls Learn. Let Girls Learn is a holistic approach to girls’ education that includes investments of more than one billion dollars in new and continuous programs by the U.S. Government in more than 50 countries and established almost 100 private sector partnerships promoting adolescent girls’ education worldwide.
As the U.S. took one of the first steps in establishing a support system, in September of 2015, the UN adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), number four of which is quality education. Officially started January 1, 2016, the SDGs have an ambitious plan to provide all children with quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education by the year 2030. In 2017, Canada initiated a new, progressive policy, the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP). This policy aims to better support equal educational opportunities for women and girls in developing countries and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of quality education.
Malala’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech was very successful in calling to world leaders for support in the fight for girls’ education. Malala directly addressing and calling out to the world leaders for their assistance is a particularly effective strategy. By saying, “Now it is time to call them to act for the rest of the world’s children. We ask the world leaders to unite and make education their top priority,” Malala is able to capture the world leaders attention as they are being directly addressed and told exactly what Malala believes is the best way to achieve quality education for all. It is also important to note that in this address, she does not use the word “I” but instead uses the word “we”. By using the word “we” when addressing such an important topic, Malala is able to draw attention to the fact that everyone is in this fight together, and in order for something to happen, everyone needs to show their support and make the necessary changes. Malala’s use of plurals continues on near the end of her speech where she uses the word “let’s” to, as she had previously done, draw attention back to the fact that everyone needs to join the fight or important changes will not be accomplished.
I myself have been a part of Malala’s audience, having read her book, ‘I am Malala’, many years ago. As a girl in a country that now but didn’t always support education for women, Malala’s message resonates with me because without the opportunity to be educated, I wouldn’t be able to achieve the things I want to achieve. I think the most effective part of her writing is Malala’s word choice, and as such, this speech has inspired many important steps towards achieving quality education for everyone.
Here are all of the sources that I used for research:
A World Ready to Learn: Prioritizing quality early childhood education – UNICEF DATA
Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy
Here is Malala’s Noble Peace Prize Acceptance Speech if you would like to check it out: