Rhetorical Analysis Of While We Sleep By Florence Kelley

Florence Kelley uses several rhetoric devices in order to make her claim about the insufficient working conditions for women and children. The use of rhetorical devices adds to her ability to make her case. By using such language, Kelley successfully delivers her message in a way that would compel the reader to agree. She uses a mixture of diction, syntax, and emotional appeal in order to really have her point stick with the reader and cause them to think about the cause she is trying to support.
The most noticeable technique that Kelley uses is the repetition of the phrase “while we sleep.” She says this over and over again several times in her speech. This repetition allows her to get her point across and stress the importance of her argument. She uses “while we sleep” because it shows how children are working countless hours in factories with horrible conditions each night, while the rest of the world is at rest. By repeating the
The way that she speaks makes her come across to be very educated in her subject. She speaks with much confidence in what she has to say. It is clear that she is well educated in her field especially when she states that, “In Pennsylvania, until last May it was lawful for children, 13 years of age, to work twelve hours at night.” In this statement alone, it is evident that Kelley has done extensive research in order to support the cause to the highest degree. The way in which she phrases her words adds to prove her point also. By adding the “13 years of age” piece, she adds a scare tactic. To even think that a thirteen year old would be working such long hours is inhumane. This is the kind of word play that allows the reader to feel the full effect of what the speaker is portraying. By adding those small details a whole new world is open. These words can cause the reader to feel a whole other way about the