Rhetorical Analysis Of Old Major's Speech

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Old Major’s speech more effectively addresses the need for equality by angering the animals and showing the state of oppression they were in because of the inexcusable things Mr.Jones had done. Since anger is an emotion that can drive anyone to do anything, the animals came together to rebel and fought against their abusive owners because of their fury. Since Old Major appeals to the notion of equality by using many different types of rhetorical strategies, the animals are convinced that their sense of equality is nonexistent and that they have to rally together to create their perfect utopia. While Martin Luther King, Jr. had similar strategies in his speech, Old Major was able to make a stronger argument because of the anger he created. …show more content…

Asking rhetorical questions can even subtly persuade and influence the audience by questioning their own beliefs. In this case, the animals have lived their whole lives believing that everything that Mr.Jones said or did was law. Old Major uses rhetorical questions by questioning why the animals have been doing this their whole life, persuading them even more to promote equality, or even rebelling. Old Major’s use of rhetorical questions also emphasizes his point on equality and gets the animals thinking. When Old Major says thing like, “ But is this simply part of the order of nature?”, “What have you had except your bare rations and a stall?”, and “Is it not crystal clear comrades that all the evils in the lives of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings?”in his speech, it makes the animals think and convinces them that that Mr.Jones does not have to be their owner, instead they can live freely and equally. ( Animal Farm, Ch.1) Martin Luther King, Jr. also uses some rhetorical questions but not many. An example is when he says, "Now, what does all of this mean in this great period of history?" While he uses rhetorical questions in order to reach to all the audience, he does not necessarily make them think like Old Major did with the