Ai Wei Wei’s Activism Speech and Project “Sunflower Seeds”

A Rhetorical Analysis Outline of Ai Wei Wei’s Activism Speech and Project “Sunflower Seeds”

Purpose: To identify the rhetoric of 21^st 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.”