Rhetorical analysis
Alexander Akande
Professor. Rascoe
English 1302
12th, July 2014 Rhetorical Analysis
In Dinesh D' Souza’s essay, "Two Cheers for Colonialism,” he attempts to convince the audience about several concerns regarding colonialism and Western civilization. He employs various methods to make the audience see his point of view. He uses a lot of emotional appeals, humor, ethos, logos, and anecdotes to argue that the West did not become influential through colonial oppression. He says, "By suggesting that the West became dominant because it is oppressive, they provide an explanation for Western global dominance without encouraging white racial arrogance. They relieve the Third World of blame for its wretchedness,"(1) and "The West did not become rich and powerful through colonial oppression. It makes no sense to claim that the West grew rich and strong by conquering other countries and taking their stuff"(2). He uses rhetorical strategies such as evidence-based arguments like the one above, to make a strong logical appeal to the audience.
D' Souza’s essay begins by describing how terrorism apologists justify acts of terrorism by arguing they were done in the name of revenge against western oppression. "Apologists for terrorism, including Osama Bin Laden, argue that terrorist acts are an understandable attempt on the part of subjugated non-Western peoples to lash out against their longtime Western oppressors"(1). Nobody really fancies Osama Bin Laden, so this was a shrewd use of pathos to stir up negative emotions in the mind of the reader, in an attempt to convince the reader to understand his point of view. Another use of pathos in this essay was his description of the role British colonists played in the abolition of bad ancient practices in India. "It was the British who, applying a universal notion of human rights, in the early 19th century abolished the
Professor. Rascoe
English 1302
12th, July 2014 Rhetorical Analysis
In Dinesh D' Souza’s essay, "Two Cheers for Colonialism,” he attempts to convince the audience about several concerns regarding colonialism and Western civilization. He employs various methods to make the audience see his point of view. He uses a lot of emotional appeals, humor, ethos, logos, and anecdotes to argue that the West did not become influential through colonial oppression. He says, "By suggesting that the West became dominant because it is oppressive, they provide an explanation for Western global dominance without encouraging white racial arrogance. They relieve the Third World of blame for its wretchedness,"(1) and "The West did not become rich and powerful through colonial oppression. It makes no sense to claim that the West grew rich and strong by conquering other countries and taking their stuff"(2). He uses rhetorical strategies such as evidence-based arguments like the one above, to make a strong logical appeal to the audience.
D' Souza’s essay begins by describing how terrorism apologists justify acts of terrorism by arguing they were done in the name of revenge against western oppression. "Apologists for terrorism, including Osama Bin Laden, argue that terrorist acts are an understandable attempt on the part of subjugated non-Western peoples to lash out against their longtime Western oppressors"(1). Nobody really fancies Osama Bin Laden, so this was a shrewd use of pathos to stir up negative emotions in the mind of the reader, in an attempt to convince the reader to understand his point of view. Another use of pathos in this essay was his description of the role British colonists played in the abolition of bad ancient practices in India. "It was the British who, applying a universal notion of human rights, in the early 19th century abolished the