Read the following excerpt from President Lyndon Baines Johnson's Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress, November 27, 1
963. Then, answer the question that follows. First, no memorial oration or eulogy could more eloquently honor President Kennedy's memory than the earliest possible passage of the civil rights bill for which he fought so long. We have talked long enough in this country about equal rights. We have talked for one hundred years or more. It is time now to write the next chapter, and to write it in the books of law.
Which rhetorical appeal or device does President Johnson use here to push for the passing of the civil rights bill?
Irony, because he is saying something that is the opposite of what he means
Logos, because he presents only facts and statistics about what the civil rights bill will accomplish
Pathos, because he uses the emotions of the audience to convince them that passing the bill would honor the memory of President Kennedy
Rhetorical question, because he wants the reader to think about an issue through a question
The rhetorical appeal or device that President Johnson uses here to push for the passing of the civil rights bill is:
Pathos, because he uses the emotions of the audience to convince them that passing the bill would honor the memory of President Kennedy.
<h3>What is Pathos?</h3>
Pathos is an appeal to a person's emotions. In this text, President Johnson is trying to remind the people of the effort that President Kennedy had made.
He counts on their appreciation of his efforts, to take some measure to bring about equal rights in the country which was one of the things that Kennedy stood for. The emotional appeal known as pathos was hence used.
Taking a position in an argument means taking a side. When taking a side in an argument, the author will most likely give you biased evidence. They will only give you reason to believe their side, without giving you any sort of evidence for the other side in the argument.
