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Cesar Chavez Nonviolence Resistance Analysis

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American labor leader and civil rights activist‒ Cesar Chavez published an article in the magazine of a religious organization to address an obstacle American people were facing. America was facing a problem with the people reacting to events with violent actions, when they should be using nonviolence resistance. The farmers all feel frustration, impatience and anger. They know that many people before them have worked in America’s fields and been treated the same way they are. Therefore, powerlessness and poverty are knows for the workers in the fields. Chavez wrote his article to build an ethical, logical, and emotional appeal to not only defend the farmers in the union, but to persuade the farmers to react to violence with nonviolent resistance. …show more content…

He begins his article with talking about how special life is to humans. He speaks about how God gave every human the gift of life; therefore, no one should be able to take that away. The more violent actions taken means the more life’s taken. He also says that nonviolence resistance is much more powerful than violent resistance. When people fight or argue sometimes they don’t have anything to support them in their argument except for their morals. When in a violent action the person arguing with you is not going to listen to your morals, nor take them into consideration before injuring or killing you. However, nonviolence resistance allows you to speak your morals and listen to your opponents morals. Additionally, no one gets injured or killed and everything works out calmly. Chavez also says that if people react to every violent action with nonviolent resistance then they will receive support. Others who support nonviolence resistance and would rather see a nonviolent resolution to problems, will support those who take nonviolent actions in a problem they face. Chavez encourages the people that no matter the amount of misery, poverty, or exploitation in a situation, it is not more important than a human life. Chavez states that “Freedom is best experienced through participation and self-determination.” He then continues on to gives many examples of nonviolent ways to resolve a disagreement such as, demonstrations, marches, strikes, and boycotts. He informs the people that violence does not work in the long run and is only temporarily successful. When people react with violence it only encourages another form of violence afterwards. Chavez concludes his logical appeal by giving his audience an example of the most vicious type of oppression and violence: war. He says that to force men to leave behind their wives and children to protect America and make them many promises for after the war, and then not

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Cesar Chavez persuades his farm workers that nonviolence is as powerful as violence. He says that people should try to eliminate the amount of violence we use. Chavez does this in a unique way across his article by using personification, irony, and oxymoron to persuade the farm workers. Cesar Chavez uses personification throughout the article to help create characteristics to non living objects.

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