Rhetorical Analysis of Gun Control Advertisement
Did you know that in 2018 there were more school shootings in the United States than there have ever been since 1970? It seems that America has become so blind to the big issue at hand. We americans are too quick to move on from tragedies. We only send love and prayers but once a week goes by we do nothing about it. The advertisement I chose is in color and shows two children standing in the middle of a room. The boy is holding a Kinder Egg while the girl is holding an assault rifle. As you look closer into the background you notice they are in a classroom. This Ad by “Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America” effectively uses children, pathos, logos and background in the effort to bring awareness to the lack of gun control in America today.
The use of children is the first rhetorical appeal in the image. The Ad is eye grabbing in a unique way. There is no pop of color but the scene still manages to catch your attention. The little girl is holding an assault rifle which is something you rarely ever see, especially in a classroom. The children both have a serious look on their faces. The lighting in the room is very gloomy and the children are in the spotlight. At the center of the photograph the children are looking straight into the eyes of the audience as if they are pleading for help. The children are close-up and the center of attention.
The use of pathos the is second rhetorical appeal in the image. The Ad provides a the use of emotion because most people have some sort of relationship with a child, whether it be as a parent, uncle, aunt, sibling or even a neighbor. Kids are a big part of many people’s lives and this Ad forces the audience to place those kids in the position of the children in Ad. No one wants think about a child in a classroom with a gun.
The use of logos is the third rhetorical appeal used in the image. the way the room is decorated might sway the reader to think about school shootings. The background is a classroom with no color, almost lifeless. School is meant to be a safe place where kids go to learn but in recent years it has also become a place of tragedy. School is a huge part of the life of a child considering how much time children spend at school
The choice of background is the last rhetorical appeal used in the image.
