Is injustice still a problem our modern world faces today? Overwork, racism, and unequal pay could still be prominent in 2019. Martin Luther King Jr. and Old Major’s speech in Animal Farm demonstrate how injustice affects everyone in any form. Both Martin Luther King and Old Major use pathos, ethos, and logos successfully in their speeches to help convey the issue of injustice and the need for change to their audiences
Martin Luther King and Old Major use pathos to appeal to the audiences emotions. Old Major especially emphasizes pathos to convince the animals to rebel against Mr. Jones. His speech states “all men are enemies. All animals are comrades” in paragraph eight. Old Major highlights the use of strong language to pit man and animal against each other. Using the word “comrades”, he brings everyone together and makes the feel equal. He says “perfect unity [and] perfect companionship” (Orwell paragraph 7). Old Major suggests an emotion of hope for equality for Animal farm’s future.
Likewise, Martin Luther King Jr. establishes a vision of hope for the future by building a connection with the audience while addressing them, “King [has] a dream that [his] four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character” (King 5). By utilizing the word “dream” King gives his audience a sense of optimism for a future full of hope. When people hear the phrase “one day”, it creates a sense of faith and aspiration for equality and justice in the future. Surely, by giving a sense of optimism, Martin Luther King urges his audience to fight for a change. Both Old Major and Martin Luther King Jr. use pathos to elicit a positive response in their audience.
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Furthermore, Martin Luther King exercises ethos to show the people that they can trust him. By incorporating the word “we”, as seen in paragraph 7, “and as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.” It gives the audience a sense of togetherness and shows them that they can trust him. Through establishing the fact that he’s with them, he obtains the trust of the people. Using this, he tells the people that they’re united, and through saying “we can never be satisfied,” (Martin Luther page 4) it shows the audience that he shares the same opinion as they do.
Old Major also demonstrates this in paragraph four, where he states that all the cow’s milk has “gone down the throats of our enemies.” By using ethos, he not only shows the animals that he’s with them, but that he can be trusted. “…I feel it my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as I have aquired,” (Orwell paragraph one) demonstrates this. The animals on the farm look up to Old Major as a role model. By using ethos, he shows that he is wise, and therefore, can be trusted. Through stating a common opinion, “man serves the interest of no creature except himself” (Orwell paragraph seven), he successfully wins over his audience. Clearly, using ethos in both speeches show that gaining trust is a vital element in convincing your audience.
