Evaluation of Mayor Mitch Landrieu's Speech: A Rhetorical Triangle Analysis
Overview
This paper analyzes Mayor Mitch Landrieu's speech justifying the removal of confederate statues from New Orleans through the lens of Aristotle's rhetorical triangle. The analysis examines how the mayor employed ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade his audience that the monuments were divisive and incompatible with contemporary values.
What this essay covers
- Introduction: Overview of the controversial speech and introduction to the rhetorical triangle framework
- Pathos analysis: Examination of emotional appeals regarding suffering of Native Americans and African Americans
- Logos analysis: Logical arguments about the monuments' purpose and divisive nature in modern society
- Ethos analysis: Discussion of the mayor's use of authority and moral responsibility in justifying removal
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Evaluation of Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Speech
Mayor Mitch Landrieu gave a controversial speech on removing four statues from the city of New Orleans. The confederate statues were erected over 100 years ago, and they were a part of the city's heritage. They were identification markers, but they were removed in 2017 by the Mayor. In this speech, he gives justifications based on the rhetorical triangle. Aristotle coined the rhetorical triangle to find more knowledge and seek the relevance of elements of arguments. The rhetorical triangle aspects appeal to the audience's reason, logic, and emotions: ethos, pathos, and logos.
Pathos: In his speech, he states how native Indians and African Americans feel when they looked at the statues. The persecution and racial discrimination the minority groups underwent was influenced by those represented in the statues. When the statues were left as they were, it would imply that the administration was pleased with the heinous acts they suffered. He asks whether the audience feels proud about the monuments that were a sign of bondage.
Logos: The basis of his speech is the aim of erecting the monuments in the first place, and how it represented injustice. The goal of the white supremacists was to scare minority groups and reveal their inferiority. They imposed confederacy ideas that opposed the establishment of the United States of America. The appeal to logic is founded on the aspect that no one should be proud of the moments because they are divisive.