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Malcolm X's Rhetorical Analysis: The Ballot Or The Bullet

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The Ballot or the Bullet Rhetorical Analysis This is my rhetorical analysis of Malcolm X’s speech, “The Ballot or the Bullet.” I chose this piece because I focus on the concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos, which are the main three approaches when it comes to persuasive rhetoric. Malcolm X is known as one of the greatest leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement. On April 3, 1964, Malcolm X gave his speech called The Ballot or the Bullet in Cleveland, Ohio. The rhetorical speech is about the way the 'white man' treats African Americans in the United States, and to convince the people of America that needed to start standing up for themselves and how it is time to fight back. He made the point that African-Americans were treated as second class citizens that they were denied the constitutional rights that African- American deserved. Malcolm X also …show more content…

He applies to the emotion of his audience, rousing them to anger, at the same time strikes fear into the hearts of his white listeners. Malcolm X emphasizes specific words to make the audience feel that the government has failed. He also uses unfortunate facts to produce a sense of urgency from his audience for example, “ You have 22 million Afro-American who choices are being bound, whose little girls are being murdered, who leader are being shot down in broad daylight.” Malcolm X uses ethos in his speech by introducing himself and he builds credibility by comparing himself to other activists such as, Adam Clayton Powell and Dr. Martin Luther King, who was also a minister and political leaders during the civil rights movement. He related to the audience “we all have the same problem. They don’t hang you because you’re a Baptist; They hang you ‘cause you’re black. They don’t attract me because I’m Muslim; they attract me ‘cause I’m black. They attract all of us for the same

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Although Malcolm did use rhetorical appeals he did not use any appeals to emotion, if he had he could have probably made his speech stronger. Even though Malcolm did not use any appeals to emotion King did and one of the times he did is when he said, ‘I have a dream… one day right here in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as brothers and sisters.’ When Dr.King said this he was trying to grab the emotion of the listeners and it is effective by making them think about if we were all able to be free together and be brother and sisters. Just like emotional appeals Dr.King is able to use other appeals to strengthen his speech. The next part of his speech shows how he uses ethical appeal to strengthen his argument.

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Instead of promoting peace to solve problems, Malcolm X used violence when necessary to get his points across to his audience. Little’s speech has a significant lack of logic; although, it is a clever move to predominantly use emotional appeal due to his motive - to incite anger in America and to showcase the government's faults. Through repetition of inflammatory phrases and accusatory diction both which create appeals to anger, Malcolm X effectively persuades his audience during “The Ballot Or The Bullet.” Throughout his speech, Malcolm X repeats incendiary phrases in order to kindle vexation in his audience. This tactic encourages his listeners to stand up for themselves now that they can see the issue at hand.

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Malcolm X’s use of such radical ideas and solutions to the civil rights problems of his day, and MLK’s use of historical examples they captivate their audience and through logos and convince them of their views. Malcolm X completely shatters his listeners’ beliefs, using a roundabout form of rhetoric: he uses harsh language that seems to degrade his audience, while, at the same time, he increases their self-confidence subconsciously through their emotions and through logos builds in their minds the necessity to fight for equality. MLK uses analogies and enthymeme to relate to his audience the importance of equality in order to construct logos in the mind of his audience and convince them of the logic behind back equality. Through the use of appropriate elements of logos, MLK and Malcolm X appeal to logos to make an effective

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His approach was shocking to many, it raised many emotions throughout the entire United States of America, pride, antipathy, confusion, hate, and unity. However history may look at him, it is undeniable that he accomplished many great things. His protest against the unjust treatment of African American’s will forever be survived by the establishment equal opportunity laws. Despite the leaps and bounds that have been made since the days of the civil right’s movement, there is still much to go in regards to racial tension, equal treatment, and respect for all peoples no matter the color of their skin, however, Malcolm reminds us that it is in the hands of Americans today to make that change, to put it in his words, “The future belongs to those who prepare for it

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The speech opened the eyes of many blacks, inspiring a change to begin to occur. Through analogies, metaphors, and a vitriolic and urgent tone, Malcolm X concisely and clearly informs the audience of their mistreatment and encourages them to get their just deserts. X’s intelligence, passion, and oratorical skills helped make “The Ballot or the Bullet” one of the greatest rhetorical acts in black history. This phrase, “The Ballot or the Bullet”, truly defines Malcolm X’s stance on the current treatment of blacks and how he believes a violent response is necessary when all other means of communication are ignored or

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Malcolm X's speech is relatively more inclined to use his power to hit the people who created the unequal treaties for him. He wants to tell his people that they are unfairly treated and that they can not wait for the people The power to win for themselves should have the right. Let blacks have the same right to freedom and happiness as whites, equal voting rights and fairness, stop unfair treatment of blacks and make blacks give whites the same social status，make white and black enough to live in peace and equity in the same society. For the Malcom X and Martin Luther King they all mentioned the same analogy in their speeches.

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Introduction: Malcom X urges the Negro community to fight to gain the equal rights they deserve by taking action against their white oppressors. He emphasizes that blacks will gain their rights either thorough voting, with the ballot, or else through the inevitable violence with the bullet. Thesis [part a] Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., also fighting for the civil rights of black Americans in the 1960s, but in a more peaceful manner, Malcom X takes a different approach.

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Malcolm x informs other African American about how their culture had been stripped by whites and how they created and inspired

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