Rhetorical Analysis Of Defining A Racist By Malcolm Gladwell

Rhetorical Analysis: Defining a Racist Racism has been around for as long as man has recorded history. Whether it was Israelite’s and Egyptians or Africans and Anglos, there has always been a race that feels superior to another race. As time progresses, society does become more and more accepting of other races there are those who have just stuck in their ways of racism. These people have decided to remain in ignorance and have built a life based on a superiority complex towards others. Although, what makes an action or statement racist? The author Malcolm Gladwell goes into detail about what makes a racist in his article “Defining a Racist.” Gladwell has used many forms of rhetoric throughout his piece that supports his information and captivates his audience. Gladwell starts off the article with a strong hook that makes the reader take a second glance and rethink how they view racism. He uses different celebrities that have been caught in a racist act as examples to help the reader connect with the topic at hand. With this introduction, Gladwell also states that “the context in which something is said, and the identity of the speaker obviously make a great deal of difference in how we react to the speech.” Which begs the question; what makes hate speech hateful? To support Gladwell's idea that there are certain requirements for

This point goes into what exactly is said that is racist. Gladwell’s sub-point states “I think, for example, that hate speech is more hateful the more specific it is.” This statement helps prepare his audience for shock to them. “To call someone a nigger is not as bad as arguing that black people have a lower intelligence than whites.” This point itself is strong without the use of the word “nigger” but the use of this word helps build his diction and shock his audience in order to lasso them in. The use of this word appeals to humans interest with the “taboo”, and really peaks the audience's