Oprah Winfrey Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Rhetorical analysis of “Golden globe’’
Oprah Winfrey delivered her Golden Globes acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award in January of 2018. The speech that Oprah Winfrey gave took place at a time when the world was dealing with the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, which had brought to light the widespread problem of sexual harassment and assault in various industries. At the time, there was a growing sense of anger and frustration toward the systems that had allowed such abuses to go unchecked for so long, as well as increased public scrutiny of powerful individuals. Winfrey tries to make people who have the ability to change the world take action by encouraging them to use their privileges and platforms to resist oppression. Winfrey's

"I want to say that I value the press more than ever before, as we try to navigate these complicated times," she said in the beginning of her speech (Winfrey, par. 1). Winfrey's recognition by the media demonstrates her understanding of the state of society at the moment, establishing her credibility as a speaker. Winfrey also told a moving story about Recy Taylor, a black woman who was raped in 1944 by six white men. "And there was one night when she was kidnapped and raped by six white men, and left by the side of the road, coming home from church...For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men," Winfrey says, emphasizing her personal connection to the story. 5). Winfrey appeals to the audience's sense of empathy and justice by connecting the story to the larger issue of sexual assault and abuse. Winfrey establishes her credibility as a speaker and conveys a compelling message to her audience by effectively utilizing

Parallelism is one of her tools. By repeating the phrase "For too long" at the beginning of several sentences, such as "For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men," Winfrey uses parallelism to emphasize her points. The idea that women have been oppressed for a long time is brought home by the rhythm and emphasis created by this repetition. Antithesis is another tool that Winfrey uses. "What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have," Winfrey asserts. A memorable and powerful statement that stays with the audience is created by the contrast between speaking the truth and its power. In Winfrey's speech, parallelism and antithesis create a memorable, persuasive, and impactful message that resonates with the audience. Oprah creates a powerful and moving speech with these tools, inspiring her audience to fight for equality and