Adriana Venegas English 1010 July 5, 2013 Statement In The Great Trial of 1922 A speech that particularly caught

my attention was that of Mahatma Gandhi during his trial in 1922. Gandhi, as most refer to him, openly opposed the British Government that at that time ruled India. He actively preached dissatisfaction towards this government, and enticed others to practice a non-violent form of protest against it. After having written and published Tampering with Loyalty, The Puzzle, and Shaking the Manes in the Young India, he was arrested. During his trial, Gandhi was given the opportunity to present a written statement, before handing it over to the judge he felt the need to read it aloud. The speech was executed quite profoundly and resonated with the audience because of the strategic usage of ethos, logos, and pathos. Gandhi establishes ethos in the introduction of his written statement. You are able to understand the nature of his character by his humility and willingness to accept his actions. By accepting the charges presented against him and going further as to admit additional information he establishes his credibility. Even though he is at the criminal end of the trial there is a sense of respect towards this man who accepts his actions and admits to having every intention of repeating them. I should have known the consequences of every one of my acts. I know them... I ran the risk and if I was set free I would still do the same. This statement enables his audience to view him as a respectful figure, of which you want to listen to attentively to clearly hear what he has to say. In the particular situation in which Gandhi found himself, starting off his speech

using ethos really created a willingness and even desire from his audience to listen to what he further had to say. The cause for which Gandhi was fighting for was very close to his heart, consequently being an emotional topic. Gandhi was very wise when implementing rhetoric in his speech. He strategically followed his introduction that was rich in ethos with some words appealing to pathos. When he compared non-violence to faith, Gandhi indirectly appealed to the emotions of his audience. This is due to the connection of religious beliefs to many different emotions in individuals. The passion with which he apologized for his actions has a way of moving the listener. He apologized for his crimes stating he had no other choice; he had no other choice because protesting the British Government in British India was his creed. I find that the most powerful sentence in regards to pathos is I do not ask for mercy. As a receiver of this message one may feel compelled to want to forgive a man that has accepted his crimes and has complete resignation to his fate. Ultimately, the speech achieves its most powerful effect when Gandhi incorporates logos. After having admitted that he was guilty and accepting his certain fate, he presented the reasoning that fueled his actions. He felt it his duty to explain to his people and the British people why he did and will continue to promote dissatisfaction with the British Government. His first argument towards his dissatisfaction was the fact that as an Indian man he had no rights in his own country as opposed to an Englishman. This is a strong argument, how can one expect an individual to be content with a foreign ruler of their country, when they as citizens have no rights because of this institution. He further expanded on this notion by stating that he had performed many acts of civic service in different occurrences with the belief that by doing so he would receive equality. Thus presenting a broader view of the injustice he has lived. He compares the

British Government to terrorism and states that they have a crippling effect on the Indian people. He supports this argument by stating that by oppressing the people they have forced them into submission of a deprived life. He urges the judge to sentence him to the highest sentence possible if he feels that Gandhi is guilty, because by doing so he is stating he agrees with the evil that is the British Government. Gandhi was a man that promoted justice and peaceful protest. From this speech I was able to learn more about his character. He had experienced injustice for many years and felt that the British Government was hurting India rather than helping. For this reason he felt it necessary to revolt against them, peacefully. Gandhi firmly believed that only with non-violence are we able to get our message across. He was an incredible writer and speaker, whos quoted regularly to this day. His writings had a much greater impact on his audience because of the euphoric usage of rhetoric. He was able to present a meaningful argument that supported his topic using ethos, pathos, and logos. His work is forever immortalized and serves as example for younger generations.

Works Cited
Gandhi, Mahatma. "Famous Speeches by Mahatma Gandhi." Famous Speeches by Mahatma Gandhi. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 July 2013. http://www.mkgandhi.org/speeches/gto1922.htm