Rhetoric techniques are some of the most commonly used persuasion tactics used in literature. In WEB Du bois’ text “Our spiritual strivings” rhetorical techniques are used to convey his idea that we can create just communities by becoming more educated about our history and the laws so that we can seek justice. While Booker T. Washington uses rhetoric techniques to emphasize his belief that we can create just communities by utilizing the knowledge we already bear and help from those in power to better our communities. Although WEB Du Bois and Booker T Washington have contradicting points of view the both use rhetorical devices such as metaphors, parallelism, and repetition to project their ideas.
As stated above rhetoric techniques are used as a method of persuasion by many authors. The most commonly used rhetorical technique is the metaphor. In the text “Our Spiritual Strivings” written by W. E. B. Du. Bois metaphors are weaved throughout the text to emphasize his beliefs that just communities can be achieved through education, self and otherwise. In paragraph nine Du Bois says “it change the child of emancipation to the youth with dawning self-consciousness, self-realization, self-respect.”
Du Bois uses the metaphor of a “child of Emancipation” to develop the idea that education regarding the black mind is an important factor for especially after our Emancipation. Du Bois’ decision to use words such as child and youth suggest that self-consciousness is still and ongoing process for the African American society. As if to say the more we educate ourselves the more the freedom we will receive. Booker T. Washington also used metaphors in his texts. For example in his speech addressing the Atlanta compromise Washington uses the metaphor “ ‘cast down your bucket where you are’ – cast it down and making friends in every manly way of the people of all races and we are surrounded.”(para. 3)
127 our experts are availableright now
Washington uses the metaphor of “casting down your bucket” to form the concept that we need to look to others for assistance in instances in which we can not help ourselves. This is a metaphor because Washington is not saying to actually let down a bucket of some sort however, the bucket is referring to let our guard down and being willing to receive help from others. Du Bois and Washington both used captivating metaphors to highlight their points of view.
Parallelism is the use of successive verbal constructions in poetry or prose that correspond in grammatical structure, sound, meter, meaning, etc. For many it can be Exceedingly complicated to use correctly. Nevertheless, Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois make it appear simple through their eloquent use of this rhetorical method in their texts. W. E. B. Du Bois employs parallelism in the ninth paragraph of his text when he says “only those who have watched and guided the faltering feet, the misty minds, the dull understandings, of the dark pupils of these schools know how faithfully, how piteously, this people strove to learn.”
Du Bois uses parallelism to develop the idea that there is a balance between the misty minds and the dull understanding regarding the education system, to students in said system that want to learn more but can not because they do not understand it in the first place. Due to the fact that the education system wasn’t made to be comprehended by African Americans. Furthering his point that African Americans need to become more self-conscious and understand their own minds. Booker T. Washington’s use of parallelism I’d more understandable.
In order to deeper foreground his confidence that helping one another is the path to a just community Washington repeatedly declares “[we] shall prosper in proportion as we learn…”(para.4) Washington’s use of parallel structure clarifies that the phrase “prosper in proportion” (par. 4) means that the success and well-being of African Americans will increase gradually. This reinforces Washington’s point of view that over time African Americans will improve their circumstances when they begin to find peace with the fact that their normal jobs are respectable and are no reason to feel shameful.
Lastly I will be discussing how the authors have used repetition to highlight their opinions on how to create just communities. Du Bois announces “the nation has not yet found peace from its sins; the freedman has not yet found freedom in his promise land.”(para. 7) Du Bois’ repetition of the phrase “has not yet found” reiterates the concept that the legacy of slavery still lives on in America, and prevents African Americans and the Nation from finding peace. We can only find peace once we understand.
Booker T. repeats the metaphor “cast down your bucket where you are”(para.3) and its assisting sentence “cast it down”(para. 3-4) as to emphasize the need to accept assistance from others in all aspects of life in order to better ourselves. Washington’s use of repetition in paragraphs three and four spotlights the power and importance of Washington’s opinion that African Americans can only improve their situation by staying in the South, developing friendships with white Southerners, and developing the skills they already have instead of attempting to establish new ones.
All in all, Washington and Du Bois have both masterfully made their opinions evident through the use of rhetorical terminology. Whether it be repetition, metaphors, or parallelism theses men used them to make their points. All things considered, regardless of the contradicting views of Booker T. Washington and WEB Du Bois, I personally believe that both authors can agree upon the fact that african-American communities still have a long way to go before they can be considered just.
