ENGL102 Central Texas College Persuasive American Speeches Analysis Paper

Hello,

I need two responses of at least 150 words each for the below students discussions for this week. Also in the bold below are the questions the students at answering.

Choose one of the “Persuasive American Speeches” listed in the “Supplemental Readings” section of the course lessons. Discuss purpose and the claim of the speech. Explain how the speech supports this claim (logos, ethos, and/or pathos). Is the opposing side mentioned? Also, describe the method of argumentation you believe is used in the speech (Toulmin? Rogerian? A mixture of both?). Give citations to back up your points, and create a final works cited citation for this essay.

In your response to your classmates, find a student who wrote about a different persuasive American speech, and comment on your classmate’s discussion of his/her chosen work. Do you agree with his or her analysis of this speech? Why? The ‘why’ is key – please post a rich response to your classmate.

Student one:

Good evening class,

This week I chose to talk about “The Meaning of Fourth of July For The Negro.” This speech is written by Frederick Douglas and he touches on many different subjects from freedom to slavery. He begins his speech by honoring the memory of the brave men who have sacrificed their life and honor for our freedom. Throughout the speech he makes everyone aware of how life was like prior to 1776 and then after 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Douglas does believe that the world can change slavery for the better over time. The point he was trying to get across most was that he urges people to continue doing the good things and putting other peoples needs above their own (Douglas). The thing I found to be the most interesting was the Douglas thought of Fourth of July as a joke because it isn’t true to its principles. This speech is written in Toulmin’s style of writing because he makes his claim and then argues it with different approaches from people who are opposed to the ideas. Douglas used logos a lot throughout his speech because he used examples of the way life used to be and the way life is today. Douglas used to be a slave and he escaped from slavery so he is speaking from experience.

-Brittany

Works Cited:

Douglas, Frederick. “The Meaning of July 4th For the Negro.” The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass,www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/douglassjuly4.html.

Student two:

For this week’s forum, I decided to write about A Plea for Mercy by Clarence Darrow. The speech was delivered by Clarence Darrow, who at the time was a lawyer representing Nathan Leopold and Walter Loeb. “Clarence Darrow delivered “A Plea for Mercy” at the Sept 1924 trial of Nathan Leopold and Walter Loeb, who were two Jewish wealthy University of Michigan alumni and University of Chicago students who murdered 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Franks in 1924 and were sentenced to life imprisonment.” (Clarence Darrow: “A Plea for Mercy” delivered September 1924, 2011) It was labeled “the trial of the century” due to the wealthy and intelligent defendants who wanted to commit the perfect crime.

In his speech, Clarence Darrow was pretty much tired of the death penalty and death in general. He spoke of the death that occurred in wars and the young men who grew up with death normalized. “We were fed on flesh and drank blood. Even down to the prattling babe.” (Eidenmuller 2017) Clarence Darrow uses pathos to sway the courtroom in order to get capital punishment off of the table. He shifts most of the blame of bloodshed to several wars to include the Civil War and listed education and money as part of the reason. “I know that Europe is going through the same experience today; I know it has followed every war; and I know it has influenced these boys so that life was not the same to them as it would have been if the world had not made red with blood.

Mr. Darrow does offer an opposing side when asking the court “If the welfare of the community would be benefited by taking these lives, well and good. I think it would work evil that no one could measure. Has your Honor a right to consider the families of these defendants?” (Eidenmuller 2017) He asks the judge to think about, not his defendants, but the family of those who were affected by their crimes.

I do believe there was a mixture of the Toulmin argument and Rogerian argument used in the speech. He stated his concerns and dislike for capital punishment throughout his speech. He claimed it was a mixture of reasoning behind the deaths. He wanted the two men to live despite what they had done. He also included what he thought was the family’s concern of what would become of them if they were to die. “I do not know how much salvage there is in these two boys. I hate to say it in their presence, but what is there to look forward to? I do not know but what your Honor would be merciful to them, but not merciful to civilization, and not merciful if you tied a rope around their necks and let them die; merciful to them, but not merciful to civilization, and not merciful to those who would be left behind.” (Eidenmuller 2017) In the end, his speech was successful. He was able to take capital punishment off of the table and they were given life sentences.

Eidenmuller, Michael E. “A Plea for Mercy.” American Rhetoric: Clarence Darrow — “A Plea for Mercy at the Trial of Leopold and Loeb”, 26 Feb. 2017, americanrhetoric.com/speeches/cdarrowpleaformercy.htm.

“Clarence Darrow: ‘A Plea for Mercy’ Delivered September 1924.” Texas Moratorium Network, 13 Dec. 2011, www.texasmoratorium.org/archives/1549.

-Alex