Rhetorical Analysis of Hillary Clinton's Speech

A speech was made in Beijing, China, on September 5th, 1995, Clinton was the first lady at the time. Her speech was centered around how women deserve the same amount of rights as everyone else and should be treated equally. This speech became famous and well known with Clinton gaining respect around the world. Clinton uses Ethos, Pathos, and Logos throughout her speech to appeal to the audience. What exactly was it about this speech that made it so capturing? To get a good analysis on the speech we must view the rhetorical aspect of it. 

The location of Clinton's speech was the UN Fourth World Confrence on Women. (United Nations) This took place in China where women are oppressed. This is due to the male government China has. This conference focused on “Action for Equality''. Clinton stresses that in order to have a great future for our society women’s rights need to be taken more seriously. Clinton brings up the importance of  the safety of women and providing education for them. Her argument is delivered in her thesis. We should first begin by discussing what a rhetorical analysis is. A rhetorical analysis describes, analizes, and evaluates the text of an argument. The rhetorical analysis also determines the audience, the context and the purpose. (Rhetorical Analysis) 

Let's go over the different types of rhetorical concepts. The main three used are logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos is the appeal to logic, reason and rationality. Pathos is the appeal made to the audience’s emotions This purpose is to invoke feelings. Pity and compassion usually go hand and hand with this term. The term Ethos is usually described as credibility.  (Jeffrey R) Anaphora means the repetition of a phrase, this is commonly used in arguments to enforce an idea. (Anaphora)  A rhetorical question is a question intended to start discussion instead of receiving a response. Serious tone is whenever the author is trying to invoke focus in the audience. Allusions is a reference to a person, place or thing. 

Clinton used all those previous rhetorical concepts stated to strengthen her argument. Clinton uses appeal to logos when she states, “ Women and children make up a large majority of the world’s refugees.” She also brings up, “They are being denied the right to go to school by their own fathers and brothers. They are being forced into prosistution”. She also states, “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families. Over the past two and a half years, I've had the opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing women in my own country and around the world.” This is an example of logos because she is using facts and building credit for herself. Clinton tries to touch people’s hearts with appeal to pathos. It’s hard to not be saddened to hear Clinton bring up the fact that, “ They are watching their children succumb to malnutrition caused by poverty and economic deprivation. They are being denied the right to go to school by their own fathers and brothers.” This an appeal to pathos because it is meant to make people feel emotions. When it comes to Ethos, Clinton makes statements that she repeated phrases like, “It is a violation of human rights”. She also says, “Women must enjoy the rights to participate fully in the social and political lives of their countries, if we want freedom and democracy to thrive and endure”. Moving onto the use of rhetorical questions, Clinton asks, “Wasn’t it after all that the women’s conference in Nairobi ten years ago that the world focused for the first time on the crisis of domestic violence? (Clinton), Hillary) Clinton uses a serious tone in most of her speech in order to get her audience to focus because the topic is important. For example:

As long as discrimination and inequities remain so commonplace everywhere in the world, as long as girls and women are valued less, fed less, fed last, overworked, underpaid, not schooled, subjected to violence in and outside their homes -- the potential of the human family to create a peaceful, prosperous world will not be realized.(Clinton, Hillary) 

This is a serious tone. A great concept that will strengthen Clinton’s argument. This could also be a good example of a call to action. As far as Allusions go, Clinton makes references throughout her whole speech. Some examples include, The 75th anniversary of women’s suffrage, signing of the declaration of independence, V- J day, and the aftermath of chernyl. 

Once you analyze Clinton’s “Women’s rights are human right’s” speech you will realize she included many different rhetorical concepts to make her speech so memorable and a great argument. It touched many people. Her tone was serious, determined, and persuasive. When she uses phrases like, “We must” and “Let us not forget” it is telling the audience they must do something. Overall, the purpose of Hillary’s speech was to persuade people to recgonize rights for all women. She did just that.