Revised Essay

All the changes made to this paper were done so I could change the repipition and the clarity of the paper. This was one of my favorite papers to have written. I tried my best to fix the paper to the best of my ability. There are no significant changes made to the paper but most of the changes are small.

 

Briana Lanza Kyle

Ms. Thomas

Composition 102

3 May 2013

Moving South Africa through Words

Over the years, throughout history there have been many fights for equality and many of those required sacrifices. All of them made for equality, but not many people can say they spent 27 years in jail to fight for the rights and persecution of the people in their country. Nelson Mandela did that, and although it was not 27 years continuously it was the punishment that he endured for putting up a fight against the South African government, that he eventually came to win. Before Nelson Mandela became president most of the government was run by a European country who had settled in their land although they were the minority group of the country. South Africa went through a period of history called the apartheid which resembles the United States civil rights history with the use of the Jim Crow Laws before the Civil Rights Movement. They key difference that came from the fight in South Africa was that not only did the laws need the change, the government was in need of reform. After Nelson Mandela got out of jail for a couple years he continued to fight for the justice of the people and soon came to enforce his fight on his inaugural day.  With this new governmental standing Nelson Mandela wanted to convey the point that his country was able to be strong.  On the day of his inaugural speech, Nelson Mandela got his chance to say what he had to say without persecution. Through the careful use of language Nelson Mandela empowered an entire country. With Nelson’s word choice, tone, and repetition he reminded the people of the importance of living life as they had always wished.

                “Each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal. The national mood changes as the seasons change. “ Nelson Mandela spoke those words in his inaugural speech in front of thousands of South Africans who stood in the capital to listen him speak. His choice of words in this statement was important because the country had been under so much scrutiny and heartache with the fight for equality. This statement also connects to him personally because he was in jail so many times and each time with a sense of renewal he tried to make a difference. This created a sense of pathos and ethos within his speech. Everyone knew that he could understand what they had gone through because not only did he go through this but he also spent time in jail, his family was also living the same way as the people. Although everyone was not a prisoner in a jail they were prisoners to the racism and injustice that they were facing within their country.  “We, the people of South Africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil.“ Nelson Mandela wanted to make sure that the people of South Africa knew that they are a part of the world, not just somewhere people did not pay attention to but were taken into the arms of those in the nations present. With the apartheid occurring and the people fighting back South Africa was on the news and the world was beginning to know the country that Nelson Mandela loved and fought for. This statement helped appeal to South Africa’s logos because they knew they wanted to be a country noticed and helped. With this recognition by the world this could help the South Africans to move forward and develop themselves with the world at their hands and not only at their feet.  With the choice of words of words that was used he made sure that the people felt pride within their country. Nelson Mandela wanted to make sure that people understood that the country could no longer stand under the feet of foreigners at rule, but under the feet of those who born and raised there because those people are the ones that deserve to control the country for they are the ones that truly know what they need.

                One of the most powerful forms of rhetoric is the use of repetition; this adds the emotion that is needed behind the meaning of your statement. Nelson Mandela stated, “Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land . . . “. The repetition in the beginning of this sentence was used to stress the fact that Nelson Mandela was not going to allow the people to go back to their old ways. This helps build logos and pathos within his speech because he appeals to the people’s emotions knowing that they don’t want to go back that direction, and their logic knowing that this is supposed to be steps forward not backward. “Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves.”  This repetition of the first few words of this segment of the speech made me think of the bible. Nelson Mandela had the intention of letting people know that the change that was coming was going to be good like when God created earth. His intention was to create things in a way that they seemed as if they would be okay with the changes made. This appeals to peoples pathos and logos, their emotions were attached because they love their country but also their ethics because its similarity to the bible. Both of these repetitious moments made the country more intrigued and changed the way that the speech was being given and portrayed as a whole. This is important in writing because repetition makes the reader or listeners remember what the person said. This changes the power that the speech has when repetition is used. Like the speeches that many famous people have made, like Martin Luther King his repetition is something that is always remembered and understood by the people around them.

                Tone is one of the most important aspects of a speech. Tone cannot be expressed through the words but ultimately the delivery. When Nelson Mandela gave this speech he had a strong sense of confidence and devotion to his country which was portrayed through his words. Nelson Mandela made sure that his speech was given in a way that the people had no other way then to believe him. He did not yell at the people, he talked to the people as if he could understand what they are going through completely. When someone conveys a speech in a way that people feel like they are on the same level as them the speech is more relatable. The tone of your voice helps build a sense of understanding when the speaker tries to convey their point creating ethos. The credibility is creating the ability to have people to believe and think that you know that you know what you are talking about. This is important because without the correct tone and ethos your speech will not be able to make the point that you may have wanted to make. Nelson Mandela made sure that he had the correct tone and ethos to make the people believe what he had to say, and motivate the country. As Nelson Mandela spoke he made sure that the strength of the country he fought for was there. If someone conveyed a speech with no emotion, no pauses, and with the wrong tone it would not be the same speech. Tone is a crucial element of giving a speech because these are one of the things that draw on to a listener.  If the tone of the speech was not a strong demanding yet still loving and gentle then it would not have the same understanding and meaning as it had when it was spoken.

                When Nelson Mandela spoke these words he made sure he relayed his message correctly. This is very important to trying to make a message known. These rhetorical elements used in writing strengthen the understanding in which people get when they try to put across a subject. Nelson Mandela made sure that the people could understand his message through his performance. His tone, the repetition and his amazing word choice are the reason why the people remember this speech. For the people of South Africa this was their equality at hand, their fight for justice and Nelson Mandela wanted that to be heard by everyone across the nations. Nelson Mandela was both an amazing leader and an amazing writer who knew how to make a crowd intrigued.