Purpose: The purpose of Mao's speech is broken down into three key ideas. The first purpose is that Mao wants to instill in his audience's mind that the idea of death, which is suppose to be a negative, is in fact positive. The second purpose is that any efforts and actions that will occur during this revolution is morally right. The third purpose is that every citizen and party member should be pro revolution.
Audience: Committee meeting officials for the communist party
Context: Mao wrote this speech to commemorate the death of a PLA soldier named Chang Szu-teh. During the Cultural Revolution, this speech was widely read. Mao was dedicated to improving China for the better, especially in education and he achieved that goal. He also had a deep passion for the Chinese culture and its history. Mao opposed Warlords and imperialist but was pro liberalism, democratic reform ism, and Utopian socialism.
Appeals:
-First Paragraph: Pathos: makes audience feel encouraged, up lifting, using words such as battalions; dedicated;l liberation; people's interest; ranks
-Second Paragraph: Mao builds his ethos: quotes Szuma Chien; Logos: quote justifies the point Mao is trying to make
-Third Paragraph: Majority of this paragraph builds Mao's ethos: mentions Mr. Ting-Ming; also by stating the Communist party can be wrong at times and will fix those wrong doings.
-Fourth Paragraph: Pathos: makes audience feel united, dedicated, as if they have to be pro revolution; use words like common revolutionary objective; liberate; love and help each other. Logos: throws in statistics: "Today we already lead base areas with a population of 91 million"
-Fifth Paragraph: All Pathos: Mao wants to really get the committee to see his point and get them to do as he says. Use words like: This should become the rule; memorial; honor; unite all the people
Figurative Language: Mao doesn't really use various figurative language but he does use a couple metaphors.
- referring to the Communist Party and Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies as battalions
- referring to certain peoples deaths as Mount Tai or Feathers
Effectiveness: I believe the use of these metaphors was effective due to the fact that his audience already support him so he doesn't have to do much to get them to agree. Just by saying battalions, which when you think about them you think of hard, getting the job done, handy; you will only assume that his audience would agree. Same with using mountains and feathers to compare deaths, they are so contrast that it makes his overall point seem even more powerful.
Claims and Warrants:
Claim: "All men must die, but death can vary in its significance"
Warrant: Some deaths are more valuable than others based on the cause of the persons death.
Support: Quote by Szuma Chien
Claim: "If we have shortcomings, we are not afraid to have them pointed out and criticized, because we serve the people"
Warrant: Even Mao and the Communist Party mess up and have problems
Support: Mentions Mr. Li Ting- ming giving the party advice
Claim: "From now on, when anyone in our ranks who has done some useful works dies, be he soldier or cook, we should have a funeral ceremony and a memorial meeting in his honour"
Warrant: If a person does not do good works for the greater of the community meaning support Mao and his efforts, their deaths will be irrelevent
Support: Deeming it a rule; bringing it to the actual community
General Evaluation: Mao was very selective with his audience. I'm pretty sure he knew that no one would oppose his thoughts of "unifying" China. He used a lot of pathos which was his strong point but not a lot of logos. He did have one statistic and a quote but that was about it. I also don't think he had to establish his ethos since everyone knew that he was Chairman Mao and that he was very important. As far as he speaking to his audience, he did a good job but I truely belive that if the public were his audience if would have to try a bit harder to truely get everyone on his side.
