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Documentary Analysis Of The Documentary Blackfish

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In 2013, Gabriela Cowperthwaite directed the documentary Blackfish. This documentary is about Tilikum, an orca from SeaWorld that has taken the lives of many trainers. The documentary makes the claim that orcas should be freed from captivity. While in captivity they are causing harm to both themselves, humans, and the other orcas. Blackfish is a great example of an argument that can be rhetorically analyzed because it has pathos, ethos, and logos. The target audience of this documentary is the general public that includes a big emphasis on the customers of SeaWorld. The filmmakers are trying to inform the public of the inhumane treatment and the conditions that the orcas face while at amusements parks such as SeaWorld. As described in the film, orcas are seen as intellectual animals that are aware of their surroundings. Because of their intellect, orcas don’t belong in a place SeaWorld and should be released. The reason behind orcas being intellectual animals is that they have a limbic system just like humans, but the main difference is that their limbic system is more complex than the human limbic system, which makes it harder for scientists to understand. MRIs have been taken to show that orcas do in fact have human-like feelings. Along with a limbic system, orcas also have another structure that can’t be explained or described. Another claim that Cowperthwaite makes is when orcas are taken away from their families and conditions they are more likely to become stress

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