A Rhetorical Analysis Outline of Ai Wei Wei’s Activism
Speech and Project “Sunflower Seeds”
Purpose: To identify the rhetoric of 21st century
censorship in China; to challenge the ideologies of oppression and censorship;
to start a revolution of the youth so that they’ll be able to protest for the
rights of freedom of speech while gaining global awareness.
Audience: The unaware, privileged audience of the TED Talks
Conference.
Context: Wei Wei was invited to Ted Talks to deliver his
speech in Feb. 2011. It takes place
after the 2008 earthquake in China; 2008 was the year Olympics were based in
Beijing.
Background on
Censorship
Purpose: Wei Wei
introduces factors of censorship and what has happened because he stood up for
freedom of speech; He gives notice to points such as, ‘freedom of speech is not
allowed’, insinuating that the citizens have asked and the gov. denied because
they felt oppressing them would be for their own good.
Appeals: He Establishes ethos and logos using pure facts of
how the Gov., has affected him with supervising through internet or in general
as well as the censorship. Pathos is introduced when he states “we need people
who can act, encourage, and be involved,” to make a “civil” society.
Technique: He lists blocked social media like Facebook,
Twitter, etc. He gradually leads the audience to see the struggles of what
China faces, freedom of speech wise. Then goes on to give his purpose, the
initiative to make a better society; by breeding activists through technology.
Effectiveness: His points are strong and words used towards
a mini rebellion like “people who act,” “democratic” and “making China civil”
make us get this negative view on the Gov. Especially with footage you can see
how his camera crew is being targeted by the authorities unfairly.
Internet
Purpose: Visually show how the youth can “realize the power
of social media/communication.” He hints towards an aware yet neglecting
government to these weak seeming civilians who have nothing but the preservation
to cope with it all.
Effectiveness: Extremely effective. He gives statistics to
children affected by earthquake when Gov. didn’t care. The Gov. comes off as its
own terror towards its people.
Earthquake
2008
Appeals: Extreme Pathos & Logos. Contrasts the great
trip from Germany, to “5,219” students, (found out of many), that had died.
Techniques: At first he shows how happy these students were
to go to Germany; they were impacted by the embracement of technology outside
of China. Then it shifts to the earthquake. The Government refused to count “who’s
dead” they ignored the fact that they were school children. He hints that this
was not only about freedom of speech, but about having a corrupt communist
government system with no benefit to the citizens. He sends a message about making
an “effort” because it can lead to “impacts.”
Battling
the Government
Appeals: He shifts to logos with hints of pathos that
correspond with scenes in the clip.
Techniques: WeiWei
gives more context as he talks
about the “Great Firewall” which could be symbolic to the great wall that
initially kept out attacks; in this case it’d keep out change from the people. He
uses the word “struggle” emphasizing when
they’re being censor on what the
Government doesn’t like. In the clip he continues his point on censorship. When
he’s in the hospital after getting beaten, on his way to a hospital room he
holds up a thumb symbolizing hope. Though the nurse shut the door on camera crew; WeiWei gives the penalties for being an
activist which are going to jail or facing difficult situations.
Evaluation:Ai Wei Wei is the master of corresponding visuals
with his impacting speech. Most of his speech consists of ethos and pathos; he
talks about the situations he’s been in but also expands on how the government
acts to not only him but China in general. A majority of his footage is purely
pathos. You can get a lot of hidden references to China through ‘great firewall’
that he doesn’t necessarily point out. To make his speech stronger Wei Wei
should have a lot more logos if anything, or more personal experiences such as
the kind of impacts he dealt with that sent him to the hospital. That way the
audience at the TED Talks Convention would really feel urged to help despite
admiring his passion of promoting the youth to stand out and make China a “modern
society.”
