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92 Unit 2 ■ Appealing to an Audience

responsible for my presence here today — my women in our country who cast their ballots
mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who is and continued the fight for their fundamen-
© Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Do not distribute.
always in our hearts. tal right to vote and be heard.
When she came here from India at the Tonight, I reflect on their struggle, their
age of 19, she maybe didn’t quite imagine determination and the strength of their
this moment. But she believed so deeply in vision — to see what can be, unburdened by
America where a moment like this is possi- what has been. And I stand on their shoulders.
ble. And so, I’m thinking about her and about And what a testament it is to Joe’s charac-
the generations of women — Black women, ter that he had the audacity to break one of
Asian, White, Latina, Native American the most substantial barriers that exists in
women who throughout our nation’s history our country and select a woman as his vice
have paved the way for this moment tonight. president.
Women who fought and sacrificed so much But while I may be the first woman in this 10
for equality and liberty and justice for all, office, I will not be the last, because every little
including the Black women who are often, girl watching tonight sees that this is a country
too often, overlooked, but so often prove that of possibilities. And to the children of our coun-
they are the backbone of our democracy. try, regardless of your gender, our country has
All the women who worked to secure and sent you a clear message: Dream with ambi-
protect the right to vote for over a century: tion, lead with conviction and see yourselves
100 years ago with the 19th Amendment, in a way that others may not simply because
55 years ago with the Voting Rights Act they’ve never seen it before, but know that we
and now, in 2020, with a new generation of will applaud you every step of the way. . . .

RHETORICAL SITUATION

1. Harris begins with a quotation from John Lewis. How does this appeal to her
audience?
2. Who is Harris’s audience? What values does Harris share with her audience?
3. How does Harris connect to her audience through the appeals of logic, emotion,
and credibility? Give a specific example of each and explain the effect of each
appeal for her audience.
4. What is Harris’s message specifically for young women? How does Harris’s
ethos qualify her to offer this message?

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