Visual Rhetoric Analysis

Visual rhetoric, by way of appealing to the emotions of the audience, being believable in the eyes of the viewers, and defending claims through use of provable evidence, conveys messages to the public that would otherwise go unheard if expressed through an alternative means of communication. Messages spread through visual images often make the greatest impact upon society due to their understandable nature, their convenience, and their widespread availability. A scholarly article or doctoral dissertation is much less likely to impact society due to the simple fact that not many people would be so inclined as to spend their time reading such a piece. A domestic violence public service announcement presented by the Salvation Army, on the other hand, would have a very large and possibly very receptive audience.
The word pathos represents this in that it describes a quality that evokes pity or sadness. In viewing visual rhetoric depicting a woman who fell victim to abuse, one’s opinion will be formed based first and foremost on how the piece made that person feel. After the initial reaction, one may begin to question the credibility of the business or organization responsible for the visual rhetoric. Following that, one will most likely search for evidence to support the claim made by the visual rhetoric. However, none of this will be as influential on a person as how the piece made them