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Rhetorical Analysis Of Cesar Chavez's Nonviolent Resistance '

1038 Words5 Pages

During the 1960s and 1970s, there was significant protesting from workers and civil rights organizations to create better working conditions; despite peacefully protesting, innocent demonstrators were attacked on several occasions such as during the Selma to Montgomery marches, leading protesters to question the power of nonviolence. In “Nonviolent Resistance”–– an article published on the tenth anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination–– Cesar Chavez, a strong advocate for civil rights, contrasts the effectiveness of nonviolence compared to violence, creates a strong link chain to demonstrate the flaws in violent action, and shifts the tone of the speech in order to promote nonviolent protest as means of making a difference, ultimately …show more content…

His article commences by explaining how “nonviolence provides the opportunity to stay on the offensive, and that is of crucial importance to win any contest.” The idea of nonviolence being an offensive strategy is unconventional, but having the willpower to stay composed and civilized is what gives peaceful protesters the leverage over their opposition. Since Chavez compares the way of nonviolence to the strategy of playing offense, the audience feels the urge to act peacefully in order to “win.” In assuming the audience has an offensive mindset when it comes to a “contest,” Chavez creates the perception that, by not physically retaliating, the workers defy expectations and take the advantage in their battle for liberty. To conclude the article, Chavez transitions to the first person point of view, explaining how it would be preferable “to see victory come soon,” but “we are willing to wait” (90–91). Chavez proceeds with caution, warning the workers not to act too quickly or impulsively because rash decisions lead to fatal mistakes, and the working class has time on their

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