Rhetorical Devices In Booker T Washington

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Booker T. Washington is by far one of the brightest and strongest minds from his time. During his Atlanta Exposition address he displays his intellect masterfully. From Mr. Washington’s use of language he was able to seamlessly piece together a speech that we still analyse to this day. Mr. Washington use of rhetoric explains and enlightens the circumstances of freed African Americans trying to fit into communities in the south. From mistreatment and racism still present in the newly freed people. Using ethos to motivate the African American people to never stop working hard no matter that they face. Starting with the fact that African Americans would only help America reach even higher feats he white man would still oppressed them,“the …show more content…

Washington in his second Paragraph speaks about how the African American peoples story is changing in a dramatic way. Booker T. Washington has great use of logos to get the African American peoples to never stop working. Mr. Washington enlightens African Americans that the transition is going to be rough but they will be successful, “our greatest danger is that in the great leap from slavery to freedom” (Paragraph 2). The transition will not be easy, nor will all the people freed will have success but any success will be the success of the African Americans as whole. What does that mean? As claimed by Booker T. Washington, “keep in mind that we shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify and glorify common labour, and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life; shall prosper in proportion as we learn to draw the line between the superficial and the substantial, the ornamental gewgaws of life and the useful” (Paragraph 2). The African American people will and over time work to get to the top, and that they will prove to the white man that they do belong whether success of the field or in the new world they have finally allowed to be successful in. In this paragraph Mr. Washington uses a emotional point and turned it into motivation for Africans to work hard and try their best no matter what lay ahead. “It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. Nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities” (Paragraph

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