Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Safwan Ahmed

Dr. Crowther

English 1101

3/11/2022

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

The coronavirus pandemic prejudiced not between who it affected. It touched people from poor and wealthy nations, from the east and west, from developing to developed countries. The virus was indiscriminate. It is a blaring reminder of how fragile we are as a collective species. The disease does not discriminate, and neither do the outbreaks that can wipe out an entire population in days and weeks. The focus of society shifted from their daily lives of school, work, sleep, eating, and repeat to paying attention to what was happening in the world in social movements and politics. Images of BLM, the death place of George Floyd, and protests against police brutality show just how sidelined social justice movements had been before the pandemic and how the most significant positive that came out of the pandemic was this shift of focus.

In the first image, a BLM protest can be seen as men and women of all races holding up signs to show their awareness of this social movement. Colors clash from the brown and white posters, one in the middle being a rainbow as notable from the LBTQ+ flag, as every person wants to have their voice heard. The text on the signs varies from “Racism the real virus,” “Trans Black Lives Matter,” “Justice Now,” “Enough is Enough,” as each message follows the next in a systemic pattern of unity. There is a clear argument in this first picture, a message to those in opposition to BLM of how wrong they are.

The second image depicts the saddening embodiment of George Floyd’s death place. The infamous story of the officer kneeling on the neck of Floyd is well-known across America and is what started most of the riots and protests during the summer of 2020. The flowers and gifts left at his memorial show how his murder affected so many people, especially his family. The mural in the image is a painting of his most famous picture, the same photo America witnessed in the news when his death was reported. Inside each letter of the text reading “George Floyd,” a group of small figures with their fists raised in solidarity, representing BLM protestors. This whole scene is saddening in that it reminds us of the tragic murder that enraged America back in 2020.

One would think the history books that teach us about slavery and the abuse enslaved people endured in the 1800s were just that: history. Unfortunately, police brutality has proven to be just another form of slavery, as “WE SEE POLICE GET AWAY WITH MURDER” often. This quoted statement is precisely what is written on a sign held by a female protestor in front of an officer line, as can be seen in the third and final photo. Her covered face is symbolic that we do not know the people who stood and marched outdoors in the heat of the summer of 2020 and fought for the rights of those who could not fight for themselves. The photo was taken with the woman being the focus and the officers behind her blurred out. This shows how the photographer wanted her to be the focus, while the officers cared not, some looking in another direction and the rest otherwise clueless of the message she is delivering to the viewer.

All in all (or any other alternative to the infamous “In conclusion”), the bulk of the coronavirus pandemic was less of the actual virus and more of its impact. People from poor and wealthy countries, east and west, and developing to developed countries were affected. Society’s focus switched from school, work, sleep, eating, and repeat to paying attention to what was going on in the world, namely the social justice movements. The death of George Floyd brought to light the fact that so much of inequality was given a blind eye, and the pandemic helped to shift the focus back to what mattered, as the three chosen images combine to reflect.

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