Rhetorical Analysis
Prompt: Florence Kelley was a United States social worker and reformer who fought successfully for child labor laws and improved conditions for working women. She delivered the following speech before the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Philadelphia on July 22,1905. Read the speech carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze the rhetorical strategies Kelley uses to convey her message about child labor to her audience. Support your analysis with specific references to the text.
On July 22nd, 1905, Florence Kelley delivered her speech in Philadelphia striving for improved child labor laws. Using rhetoric appeals such as ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade the audience, Kelley attempted to kick-start a movement in support of her goals, But, specifically what were her goals? Through the use of diction, syntax, and imagery, Kelley conveyed her argument against child labor by arguing for the pure sanctity and fragility of a child's life and the immense burden that working places on their frail shoulders.
Through diction, Kelley strove to make use of logos and pathos in order to effectively illustrate the almost moral righteousness of her cause. Near line 30, Kelley references "little white girls" slaving away at work, for up to 11 hours and potentially more. This issued not only to convey her messages to women, who likely supported her already, but to potential men in the audience as well. It is also used to appeal to women of the South who may not have been as active in this campaign. The effectiveness and purpose of the line is revealed by one, seemingly minute detail, the girls used in appeal are white. This is a careful choice by Kelley in order to inspire a sadness over the fates of these children without tempting racial tensions of the racist at the time South. Furthermore, Kelley angles to convey her message to the South through her repetition of the "enlightened" statehood of Alabama, which placed an hour limit on how long children under 16 years of age could work. There were other states that could have been used as the example of light, but Alabama was deliberately chosen to avoid alienating Southerners and to show them the pathway to the light, which would be to protect children working. Another prevalent use of diction is illustrated by Kelley to inspire pity and protectiveness over the children. With her specific diction, Kelley takes the listener or reader to a dream of endless servitude, inspiring a profound imagery of slavery in relation to the children. For example, Kelley refers to the children as "little beasts of burden". This is used to associate a negative connotation with what they are doing. They are referred to as beasts to show how they are being treated with little compassion, weighed down by the burden of toiling in work while missing the opportunity to be greatly educated. Kelley evokes this image of bondage, of slavery, to inspire in the audience a sense of righteousness to right this wrong. Due to this pathos appeal, Kelley can inspire the audience to fight for the children, as the Northerners fought to relieve slavery.
Kelley also conveys her message of child labor through her employment of certain syntax strategies. Kelley weaves her speech to its conclusion through loose sentences. Kelley uses these loose sentences in order to describe the torture the children would go through, as well as mask some other agendas of hers. From line 81, Kelley states that "I shall use this power in any positive way until the right to the ballot is granted, and then I...". Through the use of loose sentences, Kelley is able to slide in her views on women enfranchisement in order to encourage support from her audience, the National American Woman Suffrage Association. However, by using a loose sentence it allows for those who do not support women's suffrage to bypass the issue and just focus on the children. Kelley also uses syntax to invoke an image of mechanical nothingness. She describes in one incredibly long sentence the mechanization of children "knitting underwear" in knitting facilities, spinning cotton in cotton mills. This presents an overpowering sense of monotony to even the listener, enticing them to sympathize with the plight of the child, in support of Kelley's views to protect children from overpowering work. Kelley argues against the turning of children into working robotic drones slaving away at factories for adult benefits. Kelley also employs punctuation to convey her message. Through her usage of rhetorical questions, such as "What can we do to free our consciences?", Kelley expresses her argument. Kelley already knows what she desires to occur, but through this, it forces the audience to question what they can do to save themselves from being apart of the evilness of this childhood slavery.
The dominant usage of imagery in the piece also helps Kelley establish her message. For example, Kelley describes a tiny girl, barely tall enough to reach the bobby pins. This issued by Kelley in order to hammer the point of these children being frail, young, and innocent. That young girl is so small, she can not even fully reach what she is being told to successfully complete the job. Another example that is prevalent for imagery is that of the young girl carrying her lunch pail. She is carrying her food, and seeing people that are happier then her, leave work, when she has to enter it on her birthday. Kelley, through this line, illustrates the sad aspect for the child who is working, and how they are being denied happiness and their innocence by being forced to work inhumane hours at inhumane periods of times. By invoking this image, Kelley is pleading with the audience to think of this poor girl wasting her life, and her birthday away.
The early 1900's was a tumultuous time period in respect of advocacy for change. Many, like Florence Kelley, strove to right the wrongs committed against children in regards to child labor. Through the use of rhetorical appeals, diction, syntax, and imagery; Kelley conveys the message of a mother beat fighting for the rights of her poor luckless cubs to prevent them from being enslaves and having their lives taken away. Lives that could never be returned to them, even if one sought to receive it.
On July 22nd, 1905, Florence Kelley delivered her speech in Philadelphia striving for improved child labor laws. Using rhetoric appeals such as ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade the audience, Kelley attempted to kick-start a movement in support of her goals, But, specifically what were her goals? Through the use of diction, syntax, and imagery, Kelley conveyed her argument against child labor by arguing for the pure sanctity and fragility of a child's life and the immense burden that working places on their frail shoulders.
Through diction, Kelley strove to make use of logos and pathos in order to effectively illustrate the almost moral righteousness of her cause. Near line 30, Kelley references "little white girls" slaving away at work, for up to 11 hours and potentially more. This issued not only to convey her messages to women, who likely supported her already, but to potential men in the audience as well. It is also used to appeal to women of the South who may not have been as active in this campaign. The effectiveness and purpose of the line is revealed by one, seemingly minute detail, the girls used in appeal are white. This is a careful choice by Kelley in order to inspire a sadness over the fates of these children without tempting racial tensions of the racist at the time South. Furthermore, Kelley angles to convey her message to the South through her repetition of the "enlightened" statehood of Alabama, which placed an hour limit on how long children under 16 years of age could work. There were other states that could have been used as the example of light, but Alabama was deliberately chosen to avoid alienating Southerners and to show them the pathway to the light, which would be to protect children working. Another prevalent use of diction is illustrated by Kelley to inspire pity and protectiveness over the children. With her specific diction, Kelley takes the listener or reader to a dream of endless servitude, inspiring a profound imagery of slavery in relation to the children. For example, Kelley refers to the children as "little beasts of burden". This is used to associate a negative connotation with what they are doing. They are referred to as beasts to show how they are being treated with little compassion, weighed down by the burden of toiling in work while missing the opportunity to be greatly educated. Kelley evokes this image of bondage, of slavery, to inspire in the audience a sense of righteousness to right this wrong. Due to this pathos appeal, Kelley can inspire the audience to fight for the children, as the Northerners fought to relieve slavery.
Kelley also conveys her message of child labor through her employment of certain syntax strategies. Kelley weaves her speech to its conclusion through loose sentences. Kelley uses these loose sentences in order to describe the torture the children would go through, as well as mask some other agendas of hers. From line 81, Kelley states that "I shall use this power in any positive way until the right to the ballot is granted, and then I...". Through the use of loose sentences, Kelley is able to slide in her views on women enfranchisement in order to encourage support from her audience, the National American Woman Suffrage Association. However, by using a loose sentence it allows for those who do not support women's suffrage to bypass the issue and just focus on the children. Kelley also uses syntax to invoke an image of mechanical nothingness. She describes in one incredibly long sentence the mechanization of children "knitting underwear" in knitting facilities, spinning cotton in cotton mills. This presents an overpowering sense of monotony to even the listener, enticing them to sympathize with the plight of the child, in support of Kelley's views to protect children from overpowering work. Kelley argues against the turning of children into working robotic drones slaving away at factories for adult benefits. Kelley also employs punctuation to convey her message. Through her usage of rhetorical questions, such as "What can we do to free our consciences?", Kelley expresses her argument. Kelley already knows what she desires to occur, but through this, it forces the audience to question what they can do to save themselves from being apart of the evilness of this childhood slavery.
The dominant usage of imagery in the piece also helps Kelley establish her message. For example, Kelley describes a tiny girl, barely tall enough to reach the bobby pins. This issued by Kelley in order to hammer the point of these children being frail, young, and innocent. That young girl is so small, she can not even fully reach what she is being told to successfully complete the job. Another example that is prevalent for imagery is that of the young girl carrying her lunch pail. She is carrying her food, and seeing people that are happier then her, leave work, when she has to enter it on her birthday. Kelley, through this line, illustrates the sad aspect for the child who is working, and how they are being denied happiness and their innocence by being forced to work inhumane hours at inhumane periods of times. By invoking this image, Kelley is pleading with the audience to think of this poor girl wasting her life, and her birthday away.
The early 1900's was a tumultuous time period in respect of advocacy for change. Many, like Florence Kelley, strove to right the wrongs committed against children in regards to child labor. Through the use of rhetorical appeals, diction, syntax, and imagery; Kelley conveys the message of a mother beat fighting for the rights of her poor luckless cubs to prevent them from being enslaves and having their lives taken away. Lives that could never be returned to them, even if one sought to receive it.