Khomeini's Speech #16; Rhetorical Analysis Outline

           

Purpose- Inform the people of Iran that the Iranian government is harming them and to convince them to stop following the current government.

Audience- All people of Iran, especially Iranian government, Religious leaders, Americans/ American Government

Speaker- Khomeini

Context- This speech was given at the Imbd conference , during the start of more political unrest in Iran because of the Capitulation Bill and general westernization of the country.

What the speaker is saying- The Capitulation Bill is a terrible thing that now makes Iranians even lower than American dogs. It’s up to the religious leaders and others to stand up against the bill and make changes in Iranian society because things are going in the wrong direction.

Techniques Used:

Appeals to pathos- ex: “They have sold us, they have sold our independence, and they still light up the city and dance.”  This technique is persuasive in general because it tugs at the heart of the listeners and readers of the speech and can manipulate their emotions. This technique is persuasive for this particular audience because there were already some problems with the government at that time which people were angry about, so they were more susceptible to appeals of pathos at the time since emotions were running high.

Appeals to Logos- “ Iran took a 200 million dollar loan from the U.S.” This technique is persuasive in general because it convinces the reader that the speaker has knowledge about what they are talking about and that they can back up everything that they say.  This technique is persuasive for this particular audience because Iran was a dangerous political place at that time and

Anaphora- ex: “Gentleman, I warn you of danger! Iranian army, I warn you of danger! Iranian Politicians, I warn you of danger!” This technique is persuasive in general because it stresses a certain point because it’s repeated, making it more likely for the audience to register it. This technique is persuasive for this particular audience because the repetition acts as a battle cry and a quick way to rally them up.

Rhetorical Question-ex: “Are we to keep silent again and not say a word?” This technique is persuasive in general because it gets the reader/listener thinking about how the topic and how it relates to them, usually bringing them toward the speakers point of view. This technique is persuasive for this audience because many of the questions asked are ones the audience already had for themselves. The way Khomeini raises them creates a sense of anger and betrayal, further convincing the audience to side with him as opposed to the government.

Parallel Structure- ex: “This is the conduct of a true cleric; one feeble, aged cleric in the Parliament, a mere heap of bones” This technique is persuasive in general because it breaks up the text and builds a picture of  the points author wants to make. This is persuasive for this audience because it easily distinguishes the important points the author wants to make, making it easy to see where he stood on certain issues.

Claims

Claim- The capitulation bill has left Iranians on a lower level than American dogs.

Evidence- If an American cook hits the Shah with a car, the cook won’t be arrested but if Shah hits an American dog with his car he could be arrested.

Warrant-Iranians deserve better treatment, especially in their own country because they are worth more than dogs. They are just as important as or more important than Americans.

Claim – The Iranian government and country is going in the wrong direction

Evidence- The current government has signed the capitulation bill, which grants all Americans immunity in Iran, girls are being taught by men, boys are being taught by women (A general decline in religious values)

Warrant-This implies that the government before the Shah was filled with noble, great people that defended Iran. For example, Iran was able to defend them against Russia but now due to a weak government they have become dependent on America.

Claim- It’s up to the religious leaders to make changes in the society

Evidence- This broad category can also include religious teachers and students, they need to get angry about the co-ed education and see the clear danger in of what’s happening in the country.

Warrant- Religious leaders (includes religious educators, students, etc.)  hold some of the biggest influence in society since God controls all.

Conclusion- All in all, this was an extremely effective speech. That’s because the author uses so many different writing techniques. Those include anaphora, rhetorical questions, parallel structure, etc. The way Khomeini uses pathos and logos not only creates a an argument that rally’s up his audience but creates a sense of believability since he includes actual numbers to back up what he says about the capitulation bill and the current government.  That makes this speech not only appropriate for that time period but able to serve as an example for speeches in the future.