ipl-logo

Analysis Of Christopher Hitchens 'Believe Me, Its Torture'

943 Words4 Pages

The Torture of Waterboarding: Brave heroic actions bring awareness to the fact waterboarding is torture.
In Christopher Hitchens “Believe Me, Its Torture”, Hitchens describes his experience with waterboarding to convince society this practice is indeed a torturous punishment. The maltreatment practice of “waterboarding” has been controversial for many years; therefore, in order to convince the audience, the matter is torturous, Christopher Hitchens undergoes this practice not only once but twice. The author uses his personal experience to illustrate the mental, physical and emotional stress he went through during the process. In Christopher Hitchens “Believe Me, Its Torture”, Hitchens uses pathos and logos to persuade society waterboarding …show more content…

Notwithstanding, Hitchens illustrates waterboarding in the story in order to show in depth the pain and details of the process. Hitchens states, “Arms already lost to me, I wasn’t able to flail as I was pushed onto a sloping board and positioned with my head lower than my heart (Hitchens 617).” The author uses this to create an image to the audience of the torture he went through while waterboarding. Hitchens uses imagery in order for the audience to get a realistic feel of the agony and torture that waterboarding really is. Moreover, Hitchens refers to a metaphor by Abraham Lincoln that compares slavery to the treatment of waterboarding “If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong (Hitchens 620-621).” Slavery was considered one of the most torturous times in the south resulting in many deaths and injuries inflicted among African Americans as punishment. The author argues that waterboarding is just as torturous as slavery and that if waterboarding is not torture then there is no such thing as torture. Hitchens uses this metaphor to create a comparison between slavery and waterboarding and to support his argument of waterboarding is torture. Throughout the story, Hitchens uses a passionate tone while describing other Americans viewpoints of the practice. In “Believe Me, Its Torture”, Hitchens uses Mr. Malcom Nance as a witness and describes him as a cold-hearted human being. Mr. Nance has played a part in the attacks of al Qaeda since the early 1990s and Hitchens states the many points that Mr. Nance makes to persuade anyone to believe waterboarding is torture. The author brings in special forces to argue that waterboarding is a punishment used for special forces not U.S. citizens. Accordingly, Hitchens demonstrates imagery, metaphors, and tone to persuade the audience waterboarding is indeed

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Torture's Terrible Toll, By John Mccain

    699 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mahatma Gandhi, the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement states “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.” This is important because torture is brutal on the body and mind. The article “Torture’s Terrible Toll” by John McCain is more convincing then the article “The Case for Torture” by Michael Levin because McCain provides more logical reasoning, he adds his own personal experience of being a captured prisoner during the Vietnam War, and he creates an emotional bond with people around the world. Through more logical reasoning McCain Argument is more valid than Levin.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Questions

    684 Words  | 3 Pages

    Douglass has shown the slaves humanity through the questions and now he is working to emphasize the level of insanity displayed by the top tier of the Southern hierarchy. He successfully works to mock this class, fueling the Northern audience to make an effort to disassociate from these Southerners or otherwise become opinionated on the matter. This mocking helps to convince the audience of the terrors of slave society through the voice of the slave owners, showing the absurdity of the excuses for abuse of

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Literary Analysis

    799 Words  | 4 Pages

    Through Douglass’s writing, the reader learns of how slavery takes its toll, not just on the slaves, but on everyone involved. Even the purest soul is destroyed, both the slave and the slave

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Douglass And Mary Rowlandsson

    1157 Words  | 5 Pages

    Although from different eras, both Douglass and Rowlandson use similar techniques such as religion, repetition, and sentimentalism to show that being held captive and slavery is wrong. America was founded on Christian beliefs, so Douglass attacked that. He states, “If the churches and ministers of our country were not stupidly blind, or most wickedly indifferent, they, too, would so regard it” (Douglass 1037) Douglass is making a bold move that will spark controversy. He uses statements like this to keep the audience’s attention.

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography On Torture

    962 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Beyond Waterboarding: The Science Of Interrogation." New Scientist 205.2750 (2010): 40-43. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Metaphors Essay

    561 Words  | 3 Pages

    To show his perception on the very cruel slaveholders, Douglass uses a multitude of adjectives to create an image in his reader’s mind, while also using metaphors to better comprehend the situation. For example, Douglass stated, “No words, no tears, no prayers, for his gory victim, seemed to move his iron heart from its bloody purpose.” By using this metaphor, Frederick Douglass made the reader question how one could be so cruel to another human being. By visualizing one whipping another without any guilt, it makes the audience understand the inhumanity of slavery. In total, this metaphor creates a agonizing image in the reader’s

    Read More

  • Use Of Cruelty In George O 'Brien's Novel'

    1109 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the novel “1984” by George Orwell, the Inner Party uses cruelty in a politically and socially effective way by using methods such as torture, starvation, imprisonment, and room 101 as crucial motivation for those being tortured to not only confess but repent of their sins against the party. Furthermore, the use of cruelty by the Inner Party unveils both the victim and perpetrator’s inner conscience. The use of cruelty throughout “1984” by the Inner Party and O’Brien reveals how cruelty functions in the work as a means of oppression and a catalyst of subservience.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Torture Myth '

    1050 Words  | 5 Pages

    While analyzing “The Torture Myth” and “The Case for Torture”, it is very clear to see the type of rhetorical appeals used to persuade the audience. Anne Applebaum, the writer of “The Torture Myth” --in context of the decision of electing a new Attorney General--would argue that torture is very seldomly effective, violates a person’s rights, and should be outlawed due to the irrational need upon which physical torture is used. On the other hand, Michael Levin strongly argues that physical torture is crucial to solving every imminent danger to civilians. Levin claims that if you don’t physically torture someone, you are being weak and want to allow innocent people to die over something that could have been simply done.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Paradox Analysis

    161 Words  | 1 Pages

    Douglass uses paradox to demonstrate that slavery degragrates the slaverholder. When Douglass under Mr. Sever’s care he described that: “He was less cruel, less profane… He whipped, but seemed to take no pleasure in it. ”(Douglass 24). Most slaveholders are characterized to be cruel and inhuman because of the whipping and the way they treated the slaves.

    Read More

  • Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    648 Words  | 3 Pages

    ‘’ The head, neck, and shoulders of Mary were literally cut to pieces.’’ (page 38). Douglass appeals to the audience by using imagery in a visualizing way, to give the audience a way to imagine it in their head, to see the hurtful things that went on. The use of imagery from Douglass displayed how slavery was heartbroken. Along with paradox and imagery Douglass uses parallelism to describe how slavery was inhuman by expressing how slaves was frequently whipped.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Abuse In Frederick Douglass

    1838 Words  | 8 Pages

    “Yes, sir, he gives me enough, such as it is.” The colonel, after ascertaining where the slave belonged, rode on; the man also went on about his business, not dreaming that he had been conversing with his master. He thought, said, and heard nothing more of the matter, until two or three weeks afterwards. The poor man was then informed by his overseer that, for having found fault with his master, he was now to be sold to a Georgia trader. He was immediately chained and handcuffed; and thus, without a moment’s warning, he was snatched away, and forever sundered, from his family and friends, by a hand more unrelenting than death.”

    Read More

  • Enhanced Interrogation: George W. Bush Administration

    776 Words  | 4 Pages

    The third technique is nudity. With this method, the detainee is forced to stand naked for a long time. The fourth technique is slaps followed by insults. This short overview shows how cruel enhanced interrogation

    Read More

  • Techniques Used In Michael Levin's The Case For Torture

    515 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Michael Levin’s “The Case for Torture”, he uses many cases of emotional appeal to persuade the reader that torture is necessary in extreme cases. There are many terms/statements that stick with the reader throughout the essay so that they will have more attachment to what is being said. Levin is particularly leaning to an audience based in the United States because he uses an allusion to reference an event that happened within the states and will better relate to the people that were impacted by it. The emotional appeals used in this essay are used for the purpose of persuading the reader to agree that in extreme instances torture is necessary and the United States should begin considering it as a tactic for future cases of extremity. One major eye catching factor of this essay is the repetitive use of words that imply certain stigmas.

    Read More

  • Frederick Douglass Rhetorical Analysis

    935 Words  | 4 Pages

    An American Slave,” Douglass discusses the horrors of being enslaved and a fugitive slave. Through Douglass’s use of figurative language, diction and repetition he emphasizes the cruelty he experiences thus allowing readers to under-stand his feelings of happiness, fear and isolation upon escaping slavery. Figurative language allocates emotions such as excitement, dread and seclusion. As a slave you have no rights, identity or home. Escaping slavery is the only hope of establishing a sense of self and humanity.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis: The Case For Torture By Michael Levin

    971 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Michael Levin's The Case for Torture, Levin provides an argument in which he discusses the significance of inflicting torture to perpetrators as a way of punishment. In his argument, he dispenses a critical approach into what he believes justifies torture in certain situations. Torture is assumed to be banned in our culture and the thought of it takes society back to the brutal ages. He argues that societies that are enlightened reject torture and the authoritative figure that engage in its application risk the displeasure of the United States. In his perspective, he provides instances in which wrongdoers put the lives of innocent people at risk and discusses the aspect of death and idealism.

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Christopher Hitchens 'Believe Me, Its Torture'

Open Document