Rhetorical Analysis Of Paul Harvey So God Made A Farmer

So God Made a Farmer
“And on the eight day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a caretaker.’ So God made a farmer” (Harvey). These words, spoken by the late radio personality Paul Harvey, were heard by millions of television viewers worldwide as part of a 2013 Super Bowl commercial for Ram trucks. It seems remarkable that this speech, originally delivered at the 1978 National FFA Convention, reached out to such an expansive audience in current times and remains relevant, not only to America’s future agriculturalists, but to those from non-agricultural backgrounds as well (Franke-Ruta). In this essay, I am going to analyze Paul Harvey’s speech and delivery by discussing what rhetorical strategies he used and why these

However, this appeal is not used in the traditional manner. Often, a rhetor will utilize ethos appeal in order to establish and portray his own authority, credibility, and trustworthiness to the audience. Although the audience does not question Harvey’s authority or character, as he is a national phenomenon of a radio broadcaster who is beloved by many, the primary target of the ethos appeal of this speech is not Harvey himself, but the farmers that he is working to support. “God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor's place. So God made a farmer” (Harvey). Anecdotes such as this one are used throughout the speech to establish the quality of character possessed by the American farmer through ethos. This quote shows both the farmer’s determination and perseverance by working hard to get the job done on time and his loyalty to his community and neighbors by performing the civic act of allowing his own task to go unfinished in order to help others in their time of need. Harvey describes many other aspects of farm life through similar anecdotes to further emphasize the qualities of good character and good citizenship that farmers possess. By listing and describing in detail the various tasks that farmers perform, often on a daily

As with ethos, Harvey utilizes an array of realistic anecdotes relating to the life of a farmer to appeal to the audience through pathos. By juxtaposing strenuous tasks performed by the farmer, such as “rustling a calf,” “clearing trees,” and “heaving bales,” with actions of a much gentler nature, like “delivering his own grandchild,” “taming lambs,” “weaning pigs,” and “splinting the broken leg of a meadowlark,” Harvey works to emphasize the caring nature of the farmer and create an emotional appeal for the audience. Figurative language also appeals to pathos in the form a clever metaphor, describing the farmer as “somebody who’d bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing.” Not only does this statement emotionally appeal to the audience through its reflection of love and family life, but it also expertly includes a reference to agriculture, “baling a family together” with “bonds of sharing” as a farmers would bale hay or straw with “bonds” of baler twine (Harvey). Although Harvey’s clever use of association and metaphor with his anecdotes does appeal to pathos, the strongest instances of pathos in this speech are not those that incorporate fancy literary elements, rather they are