AP English Rhetorical Analysis for Florence Kelley
Florence Kelley’s’ prevailing message throughout the passage is that young girls working in the labor force is a massive problem in society. She convinces the National American Woman Suffrage Association, who is passionate about women’s right, to commit their energy and time to help the child laborers. To effectively persuade, Kelley uses logos, metonymy, and a plethora of pathos.
In the selection, Kelley provides numerous statistics and numbers to give her audience an idea of how severe her case is. She states that there are “Two million children under the age of sixteen years who are earning their bread” and “No contingent so doubles from census period as does the contingent of girls between twelve and twenty years of age.” These statistics, along with many others, provide an overwhelming feel of guilt and shock. Further more into the passage, Kelley mentions the ages of the girls and their working hours. In highlighting that “it is lawful for children, 13 years of age to work twelve hours at night,” she demonstrates how wrongful this issue is. Her point through logos was made clearly and effective.
Through the use of metonymy, Kelley makes the audience think twice about the words she mentions. For example, when she says “ and could work in the mill from six at night until six in the morning, without violating any law of the Commonwealth,” the word “Commonwealth” represents the factory workers and the lawmakers of the United States. By calling them the Commonwealth, she portrays them as cruel, heartless people who care only about the business then the safety and health of the children. The children are also referred to as “little beast of burden” implying that they are being robbed of all the things a child should be given at that age. It is an excellent strategy to persuade the audience of the hardships children face in that kind of working environment.
In the selection, Kelley provides numerous statistics and numbers to give her audience an idea of how severe her case is. She states that there are “Two million children under the age of sixteen years who are earning their bread” and “No contingent so doubles from census period as does the contingent of girls between twelve and twenty years of age.” These statistics, along with many others, provide an overwhelming feel of guilt and shock. Further more into the passage, Kelley mentions the ages of the girls and their working hours. In highlighting that “it is lawful for children, 13 years of age to work twelve hours at night,” she demonstrates how wrongful this issue is. Her point through logos was made clearly and effective.
Through the use of metonymy, Kelley makes the audience think twice about the words she mentions. For example, when she says “ and could work in the mill from six at night until six in the morning, without violating any law of the Commonwealth,” the word “Commonwealth” represents the factory workers and the lawmakers of the United States. By calling them the Commonwealth, she portrays them as cruel, heartless people who care only about the business then the safety and health of the children. The children are also referred to as “little beast of burden” implying that they are being robbed of all the things a child should be given at that age. It is an excellent strategy to persuade the audience of the hardships children face in that kind of working environment.