The given text is an extract from “The Ballot or The Bullet” speech by Malcom X in 1964 who was a civil rights activist. It can be considered a political and civil rights speech due to the content and themes presented through common conventions of the text type. X implements a variety of persuasive techniques like rhetoric devices and figurative language as well as manipulating the structure of the speech as a call to action to his fellow African Americans within the U.S.
His continuous direct language combined with the specific subject establishes a target audience of African Americans within the United States. The extract focuses on black nationalism which institutes the main racial subject of the speech identifying the targeted race. Direct language follows with continuous features of “you” accompanied by “they”, immediately directing his speech while simultaneously dividing the races. This division of races creates an inclusive environment for his intended audience, extending his original intent and purpose.
From the beginning of the speech X makes his motives clear of wanting equality within politics and the society of the United States but, more specifically, he desires his race to fight for this equality. Slogans and context specific language is used in the hopes to ignite a self-responsibility within his ow race. “Black nationalism is a self-help philosophy,” instantly he presents the audience with a political and racial statement which will lead them to political success. This “black nationalism” is aided by “self-help” evoking a sense of responsibility in the audience that is extended by ruling it as a “philosophy” as it is seen as a way of life. Furthermore, emphasis on his purpose of a call to action takes place within the second and third paragraphs as he is seen using logos to provide historical evidence to help his audience envision the power they hold. A power in which is extended by the slogan of “the ballot or the bullet” which gives his community a choice in these racial concerns.
Malcom X builds his plea throughout the speech utilizing a variety of themes. Many themes present within his speech are colonialism, black nationalism, self-responsibility, societal equality as well as political equality. Black nationalism is used in the first paragraph as a form of hope that has the ability to empower his ethnicity of any religion, it inspires his audience providing them with the power that has been taken away. He follows this opportunity of a reinstatement of power with the repetitive imagery of sitting which implementing the reoccurring idea of self-help giving them (his audience) the responsibility of expressing black nationalism. This theme of nationalism and equality develops the previously mentioned purpose of the speech and is heightened by the political themes spoken about in the following paragraphs. He uses logos of other colonized countries and their journeys to empowerment to support his point of black nationalism. However, his continuation of political context when discussing second class citizenship combines logos and pathos reiterating the social and political divides within the United States.
Overall, his tone in the speech is quite blunt and objective which leads to a commanding encouragement of his people that is exaggerated by an expression of urgency. Intense direct language allows for him to speak with his race openly placing the blame on their lack of action embedding a sense of guilt. This evoked guilt is manipulated in his commanding and encouraging lines, “Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern, you change your attitude. Once you change your attitude, it changes your behavior pattern and then you go on into some action.” A responsibility is set in while inspiration in his speech aspires his race to act and start “standing”. His urgency extends in the last paragraph as he reissues the slogan of “the ballot or the bullet” throughout. This slogan encourages the audience to take a political stand in this issue as if they continue sitting then they will have no power. These commands continue with the honest discussion of the march revealing how they have been made fools with the repetitive and slandering “you” igniting a sense of deception caused by “he” embodying the white men. Tone choices engages with the target audience forming a bandwagon appeal causing the audience to want to join him with his goals which is heightened by the pathos elements and personal language. His tone implements a serious mood reflected by the themes and content which allows an inspirational atmosphere to spread across the audience.
X employs a variety of persuasive techniques, rhetoric devices and direct language in order to communicate to the audience and impose his call to action. He constantly includes logos in his speech to use evidence to support his main ideas such as the discussion on the colonization of Asia and Africa. These logos devices are then followed by emotional appeals associated with power as a form of pathos to encourage his race to rise. The combination of pathos and logos at the end of the second paragraph exaggerates the power his race has, “… it’ll take black nationalism today to re-move colonialism from the blacks and the minds of 22 million Afro-Americans here in this country.” Statistics are used to visualize their numerical power within the population if they were to accept this black philosophy in their life. His use of African American vernacular aids this argument as he does not shy away from the black philosophy himself displaying the power “you” could have if you changed your philosophy and stood up. Their potential power is further discussed using a metaphor, “…that makes the black community more explosive than all of the atomic bombs the Russians can ever invent.” This figurative language states that if they harness their anger and right than they would be more powerful than any man-made bomb which ignites the audiences purpose in this issue feeding off the previously evoked responsibility.
The execution of the structure of his speech is perhaps what develops his purpose the most. Manipulation of the structure creatures an identifiable pattern of repetition which allows a buildup of the main ideas and points to heighten the call to action evoking the sense of responsibility in the audience making them want to act. This specific structure consists of him repeating a certain point to lead into a main idea or argument in which dramatizes the overall concept of black nationalism. This use of repetition is prevalent within all the paragraphs but especially noticeable in the first and second. In the first paragraph the consistent use of “change” leads to the empowerment of his audience with their ability to make a change. It is followed by further repetition of “sit” accompanied with imagery which is followed by the encouraging idea of “standing” to fight back. X incorporates the reoccurring phrases “he made” and “you” to spark a fury in his audience furthering their motivation to implement the black nationalism philosophy in their life and follows this repetition, again, with slogan of “the ballot or the bullet.” Which forces the audience to evaluate their course of action in relation to this issue.
Malcom X chose specific literary devices and conventions associated with speeches in order to demand action from audition which consisted mainly of members of his own race. He used black nationalism alongside other political and racial themes in order to evoke a sense of responsibility in his race. This self-responsibility was manipulated using his tone, rhetoric devices and structural patterns to motivate his listeners to take a stance within these racial issues in the United States politically. He empowered them urging them to take a political stance so that they too could control the governing of their country like their white counterparts.
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