Rhetorical Analysis: American Sniper

A selfless man, who believes strongly in god and protecting his country, makes the righteous decision to leave his family and fight in the heart of war. Chris Kyle, a true patriot, put his life in the hands of others countless times to protect the Americans’ right to freedom; even if it means not living another day again. In the memoir, American Sniper, Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL, writes about his brave and near-death experiences in war. The book explains Chris’s thoughts through every shot and life he took, through his faith and beliefs, that held true to his real character. Chris Kyle’s main idea in his writing was to educate the American people on what all soldiers had to go through, not just physically, but emotionally. The ethos and
Pathos can be described as argument by emotion or registering concern to the audience and changing the mood to fit his own side. On page 98, Chris Kyle stated, “They wanted to kill us, even though we’d just booted out their dictator, because we practiced a different religion than they did. Isn’t religion supposed to teach tolerance?” Chris used fear to gather the reader’s emotions and supported his argument by saying the Iraqis are using their religious to justify violence. This helps change the mood of the audience to support the military’s actions in the war (the U.S. helped the citizens of Iraq; the people should not be after the soldiers). A second instance would be on page 276, “It wasn’t as dangerous as you might think to walk through insurgent held areas at night.” The hero brought down the reader’s fear by saying it wasn’t “that dangerous”. Less people would sympathize for him, but others would view Kyle as a strong and courageous leader. This would help Chris control the audience’s thoughts and emotions, as he showed the readers multiple times in his own words, which could help gain support for the United States’ Military efforts.
Chris Kyle, a noble man that stayed religious through the horrors of war and put his country first. Fulfilling his duty to keep other Americans free for years to come, and he was never deterred in the eyes of death. Chris always gave recognition to others and kept his morals. The unforgettable soldier used rhetorical appeals throughout the book, mostly using ethos and pathos; which developed his character and inspired the reader’s emotions. Chris’s many years of service will not be forgotten as he saved lives of countless men and women. In eyes of all Americans, he died a