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Dorthy Rigby
Professor Bown
English 1050
July 2, 2014
Othering and Rhetorical Analysis

Part One:

Othering is a term that is new to me. It seems to me, to be a very
appropriate word to describe what it means. As I have looked back through the
history that I have been taught, I cannot identify any time period, anywhere in the
world, when othering did not exist, where groups of people with differences
coexisted. History is replete with story after story, experience after experience and
example after example of this concept of othering. Frederick Douglass offers his
own personal experiences concerning one of the most dismal episodes of othering
found in American history. Sadly, we have also heard of inhumane treatment
towards immigrant peoples coming to our land as Mary Gordon illustrates for us in
her writing. We also find these same expressions of sadness and hopelessness
expressed in the poems of Chinese immigrants coming to America by way of Angel
Island. These are just a few examples of the many that could be cited. This practice
of othering is actually something that I think about quite frequently. I wonder why
differences in others matter so much to us! More importantly, why do these
differences cause us to treat each other differently? An even more perplexing
question I ask myself is, why are some groups of people treated with contempt, and
even tyranny? Although history has painted a sad picture with more accounts of
othering than we can count, we also are privileged to have heard of many stories of
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acceptance and goodwill towards others, particularly in recent times, thus moving
us forward and beyond what was our past. Obama tells us of one such young
woman, who looked beyond differences to make a difference for good! Other
amazing and courageous people that have inspired us are those that have stood up
for their own rights and privileges to be recognized as equals with all of humanity.
The personal feelings and stories of Gloria Anzaldua and the account of June
Jordans college students are shining examples.
From a historical perspective, we can see that the standards for ethical
treatment of others have improved. No longer are there cries for freedom from
slavery in the United States, such as from Frederick Douglass when he exclaimed,
You profess to believe that, of one blood, God made all nations of men to dwell on
the face of all the earth, and hath commanded all men, everywhere to love one
another; yet you notoriously hate, (and glory in your hatred), all men whose skins
are not colored like your own. (472) Nor do we hear of immigrants being treated as
Mary Gordon tells us, people standing dumbstruck and as innocent as cattle, with
their manifest numbers hung around their necks and initials marked in chalk upon
their coats identifying them by their supposed infirmities. (434) As a global
society, many of us are beginning to see diversity as an asset as opposed to a
liability. Racism, in many instances, brings with it an outcry from society in general.
This was not the case, however, even fifty years ago. Changes have been slow in
coming, and there is still much improvement needed.
As a child, growing up in the sixties, I was exposed to racism from my
maternal grandparents example. I remember hearing racial slurs constantly while
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the TV was on. This was typical in many homes. Thankfully, my paternal
grandparents were opposed to such behavior and my dad made sure to teach my
siblings and me that racism was unacceptable. Racism aside, othering to a certain
extent, still took place in my family, school, church and community. It continues to
be a dominant factor in society today. Even individuals belonging to homogenous
groups tend to have difficulties accepting the differences of those within that group.
Why then, does a country founded on principles of equality and founded by
groups of people who sacrificed their homeland and endured tribulation and
hardship to escape religious persecution, continue this practice of othering? At one
point or another in the history of this country, everyone was the other or
everyones ancestors were the others. Do we, as humans need to feel superior
somehow to others? Are we troubled by the disruption of the status quo? Is our
need to fit in and be similar to our neighbors something that we desire? Are we
threatened somehow, by others? Perhaps, many of us can identify with some of
these questions. Maybe these were some of the thoughts and beliefs that drove
immigration laws, slavery laws and the actions of the officials who administered the
laws and procedures. I wonder then, is racism or othering at its worst, really a
form of peer pressure? Were all immigration officials inherently ruthless and evil or
were they playing the part that was expected of them in that setting? The Chinese
immigrants who came to America through Angel Island were not prepared for what
they experienced. They believed they were coming to a country of opportunity and
justice, but they found their hopes and dreams destroyed as they experienced what
one immigrant solemnly expressed in a poem, America has power, but not justice.
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In prison we were victimized as if we were guilty. Given no opportunity to explain
there is nothing I can do. (www.cetel.org/angel_poetry.html) Ultimately, in my
opinion, there is no excuse for such treatment toward human beings, peer pressure
or not.
In contrast, there are many stories in our history of heroes! These are the
people who stood up for the others and who have paved the way for tolerance and
acceptance! They are shining examples of selflessness, kindness and charity!
Obama tells us of Ashley Baia, who worked for a cause she believed in, a cause to
benefit others in some of the difficult situations she passed through as a child. (482)
Some have given so much, for the freedom and happiness of others! They have
taught us lessons and shown us a path of decency to follow! Many have followed
that path and thats were the improvement has happened. There are also heroes
that would be considered as the one of the others. They have stood up for
themselves and their people! Gloria Anzaldua reflects this attitude when she states,
I will no longer feel ashamed of existing. I will have my voice. (525) Frederick
Douglass, mentioned previously, stands in history as a hero whos passion for
freedom surely made a difference. Some must make a choice, as in the case of the
students in June Jordans college class who decided to be true to themselves at the
expense of possibly not being listened to. She states, Everyone in the room realized
that our decision in favor of Black English doomed our writings, even as the
distinctive reality of our Black lives always has doomed our efforts to be who we
been in this country. (165) The persistence and fortitude of these people, whether
considered by some as heroes or not, have made the difference for us today!
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Pressing forward and never giving up is key to changing for the better! Chase
Anthony and many others in our class discussion observed from the speech of
Frederick Douglass a great truism, which is that ...America is a young nation and is
not set in its ways. There is still opportunity for growth and change. (Week 2) I
believe this statement continues to be true today!

Works Cited

Ancestors in the Americas. Angel Island Immigration Station Poetry. N.p., n.d.
Web.. <www.cetel.org/angel_poetry.html>.
Anzaldua, Gloria. How to Tame a Wild Tongue. Reading Culture: Contexts for
Critical Reading and Writing. Dianna George and John Trimbur. New York:
Pearson, 2012. 521-529. Print.
Douglass, Frederick. What to the slave is the Fourth of July? George and Trimbur.
460-475. Print
Gordon, Mary. More Than Just a Shrine: Paying Homage to the Ghosts of Ellis
Island. George and Trimbur. 430-435. Print
Jordan, June. Nobody Mean More to Me Than you and the Future Life of Willie
Jordan. George and Trimbur. 157-167. Print
Obama, Barack. A More Perfect Union. George and Trimbur. 476-484. Print



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Part 2:
A More Perfect Union was a speech given by Barack Obama in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania during the 2008 presidential campaign. This speech is found in our
text on pages 467-484. I believe Obamas main objective was to smooth out the
damaging effects of perceived offensive statements made by his pastor, Reverend
Jeremiah Wright and to discuss the topic of racism in the United States. I believe
that Obama found that both of these topics needed to be addressed by him in order
to promote and stabilize his campaign at that time.
Obama began his speech with using ethos, by reminding his listeners of their
national heritage and giving them a dose of his own patriotism. He then continued
on to incorporate within this image, the original sin of slavery. This was a
transition into one of the main points of his speech, which I believe was very
effective. He continued with using logos as well as pathos by using the Constitution
as a defense against slavery. He essentially stated that its a logical fact (logos) that
all people should be free and equal according to the Constitution, then lamented,
And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from
bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and
obligations as citizens of the United States. This last sentence provided an effective
use of pathos or appealing to the emotions of his listeners, which he continued as he
discussed the struggles and adversity faced by those who fought for freedom. He
used another effective transition in his speech by stating, This was one of the tasks
we set forth at the beginning of this campaign to continue the long march of those
who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring
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and more prosperous America. This sentence, alone did wonders for his speech.
He used ethos by establishing himself as one who would fight for the same ideals as
those great people who had gone before us had fought for. He used the word we,
instead of I, many times throughout the speech, to set forth a feeling of unity. He
also used words that are appealing to the majority of people. Most us want the
attributes he described for our country.
He continued by telling his own American story. He used his dual ethnicity
to bond himself with liberal as well as conservative perspectives. He spoke of his
wifes ancestry to give even more credibility to his sympathy for the past injustices
of slavery. He also mentioned family ties, which most likely appealed to most of his
listeners. His words struck at his listeners emotions as well as gave him continued
validation as a great candidate, another example of using ethos and pathos to make
his points. He used the example of his own life to represent America as a whole,
focusing on our diversity, while striving for unity.
He discussed Reverend Wrights comments, taking both points of view. This
gave him the luxury of disagreeing with the Reverend, while at the same time
acknowledging his friendship and respect for the man. I thought the way he
approached this part of his speech was effective. He focused on the possible reasons
for the Reverends comments, that being a topic that was already being discussed
and interwoven into his speech; racism and the Reverends experience with it.
He continued demonstrating his ability to look at both sides of an issue
throughout his speech, using his focus on unity. He also employed fairly simple,
easy to understand language, which gave all of his listeners the advantage of
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being able to understand his message. Religion was a topic he touched on several
times to establish himself as a religious person, which is another appealing attribute
that his listeners were most likely looking for in their future president. While
passionate, he was not overly aggressive toward anyone or any point of view. He
was careful not to offend. This is a must in our day in age.
He ended his speech with the perfect story of unity between race, age and
gender. It was the story of the connection between a young white woman and an
elderly black man, both supporters of his candidacy. His story gave his listeners a
visual image that could easily be remembered and drawn upon.
I thought the speech was very effective in most every way. Obamas
rhetorical appeals were very convincing and effective in delivering his message to
his listeners. He chose his words well and appealed to many issues that are
important to the American people.