On the website People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the organization attempts to stop people and companies all over the world from the continuation of animal experimentation. Throughout this website, PETA informs viewers of the animals that are used for experimentation, where PETA examines the experimentations that are done on animals. PETA’s initial response towards animal experimentation is made clear by informing readers about the animals that are “locked inside cold, barren cages in laboratories… [where they] wait in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be performed on them”. PETA notifies the audience on how there are animals being used as lessons, exercises, and medical experimentations every second all over the world, and how many of these are not enforced by law or don’t present reliable results. PETA explains how dissection, classroom experimentation and medical training with animals can be avoided because of our advanced society. Throughout this website, they use supporting evidence to show how some tests have yet to relate to human health. PETA gives the alternatives to animal testing such as using human tissues and cells, technology, and human volunteers. PETA shares their beliefs in ways that discourage animal cruelty and defends the freedom of animals. I selected this artifact for my rhetorical analysis because I can identify the author’s purpose and the website’s persuasive techniques. On this website I have plenty of references to help me complete my rhetorical analysis.
As the rhetor of this website, PETA’s purpose is to inform the audience of 18-65 year olds who are against animal experimentation, and also to find supporters and donators for their organization. Because of the strong opinions on this controversial topic, the kairos of this website is the fact that animal experimentation has been around for years, and some people would like change this common procedure. Founded in March 1980, PETA has been a group of people who believe animals have rights just like humans, and believe animal experimentation is never a solution. Throughout the years, PETA has consistently achieved their goals, including the termination of animal experimentations involved in some companies. Informing readers about their successes is a tactic that will make the audience believe that PETA is proactive with their involvement. PETA wants to persuade many to believe animal experimentation is wrong to help save the lives of animals. The exigence of this website appears to be from the belief and common opinions among the members of this organization. Here, the members can speak out for what they believe in, in hope for an equally agreeable state-of-mind from the public. Because of how they inform, persuade and argue against animal experimentation, a rhetorical analysis of PETA’s pathos, ethos and logos is essential for the audience this artifact was created for.
PETA uses pathos throughout this website to retrieve a sympathetic yet motivational feeling. Displaying pleasant pictures of animals helps create an image for the audience of innocence and helplessness, while also informing readers about animal experimentation. PETA persuades the audience into believing that they could be saving the lives of innocent creatures. The images of the animals that have been tested on makes the audience feel motivated to help prevent and take a stand against this type of animal cruelty. Not only does PETA use disturbing pictures to shock the audience, they also use videos. These videos are put in the middle of the written section, providing a larger chance for the audience to watch them. Watching these videos and looking at these pictures of tormented animals makes the audience want to take action to stop animal experimentation. These appeals that affect emotion are ways people will act quickly, and donate immediately. This is their most efficient appeal for their goal, using emotion to attach the audience to a problem that they have the power to stop. Most of the time, animals make people happy, and when people see the creatures that make them happy being abused, it can cause for rash decisions, which PETA wants. Donating and gift buying can result from seeing the offensive pictures and videos shown throughout this website. The offensive pictures and videos are proof of the torture, giving reason to donate money to the organization. This is how PETA gets their support and money they need to continue to attack animal experimentation.
Another way PETA uses pathos for persuasive power is through visual strategies. Using these help to persuade the audience to agree with PETA’s beliefs. The images of the animals are essential for their website because this is the best way to get audiences’ attention. PETA is all about saving animals, and that is what the readers want to learn about when they read. This strategy of placing pictures of animals on the screen persuades the audience to feel bad for the animals, and makes them want to donate to help save them.
PETA uses their font type to visually portray that they are serious about stopping animal experimentation. Even though the colors they use throughout their website, bright blues and greens, make the matter seem light, they use font to establish the seriousness. By using a straight and black font, PETA presents themselves as businesslike. If they were to use a more fun or funky font for their website, it wouldn’t match the tone they are trying to set. This helps their persuasive power also, avoiding the look of nonsense and unimportance. This tone-setting assists the rhetor in helping to support their claim by stimulating the audience’s emotions in order to elicit compassion, and, thus, agreement.
PETA uses ethos by showing the audience the different accomplishments this organization has made to help put an end to animal cruelty. Companies all over the world have banned cosmetic testing on animals and this “decision follows vigorous campaigning by PETA”. This influences the audiences with their thinking or action because they can be confident this program is dedicated to making a change for animals. One thing, however, that this website lacks in ethos is adopting a reasonable tone. PETA doesn’t treat alternative viewpoints fairly to demonstrate sensibility. On this website they are persuading and arguing against animal experimentation, but it doesn’t show that PETA can be reasonable with other opinions. Because it lacks respect for a second opinions on the issue, it enhances their objective, making this website good for persuasion. The website doesn’t contain information regarding any beneficial aspects animal experimentation has. PETA uses information regarding only the negative, which help supports all of their claims. Many of the features on this website encourages readers to have confidence in what PETA is saying. This is where PETA gains the trust of the intended audience in order to influence their thinking.
Using logos is another way PETA has persuasive power over its audience. By providing facts about the millions of animals that are a part of experimentation, it provides rational and relevant evidence for their persuasive, argumentative, and informative part of the website. By including videos, this also appeals to the logical aspect of PETA. These examples provide the audience with proof that animal experimentation “facilities imprison millions of animals”. The facts PETA provides for the audience help link greatly with the emotional aspect of their persuasive website. This is essential for their website because not only are there facts given, but they also connect with the other appeals, especially pathos. PETA uses examples and statistics throughout their website to increase their power of persuasion. Using the logos appeal, PETA ties in relevant and rational evidence throughout their website. This is essential in supporting their claims and persuading their audience into mutual agreement about the topic.
Throughout their entire work, PETA uses many rhetorical features to persuade and inform about, and argue against animal experimentation. The use of pathos connects to the audience’s emotions, attracting their ideas to more enthusiasts. This helps PETA’s cause because animals are important to many people which can make an emotional impact on someone if an animal is being tortured. The use of ethos is important in persuading the audience, leaving out any benefits of animal experimentation, and rather just saying the negative. Leaving out the benefits that animal experimentation can have, gives PETA’s website the ability to express their opinion and exclude any alternative attitudes. This gives PETA a great argumentative and persuasive source. Also, with logos, the use of facts and statistics makes this website a great informative source. PETA does a great job using all three of these appeals, each attract the audience into protesting against animal experimentation and leads them to possibly be active supporters. The use of fonts and colors throughout their website is also an excellent way to appeal to the audience. It establishes a sense of seriousness while also giving a sympathetic tone. Everything used in PETA’s website can be used to persuade, argue against, and inform their audience about animal experimentation. These are great strategies that help support their claim without the audience knowing about these appeals that are affecting the way they read this website. The audience can easily be persuaded on the subject without knowing, which PETA does throughout their entire website.
Works Cited
"Animals Used for Experimentation." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2014. <http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/>.
As the rhetor of this website, PETA’s purpose is to inform the audience of 18-65 year olds who are against animal experimentation, and also to find supporters and donators for their organization. Because of the strong opinions on this controversial topic, the kairos of this website is the fact that animal experimentation has been around for years, and some people would like change this common procedure. Founded in March 1980, PETA has been a group of people who believe animals have rights just like humans, and believe animal experimentation is never a solution. Throughout the years, PETA has consistently achieved their goals, including the termination of animal experimentations involved in some companies. Informing readers about their successes is a tactic that will make the audience believe that PETA is proactive with their involvement. PETA wants to persuade many to believe animal experimentation is wrong to help save the lives of animals. The exigence of this website appears to be from the belief and common opinions among the members of this organization. Here, the members can speak out for what they believe in, in hope for an equally agreeable state-of-mind from the public. Because of how they inform, persuade and argue against animal experimentation, a rhetorical analysis of PETA’s pathos, ethos and logos is essential for the audience this artifact was created for.
PETA uses pathos throughout this website to retrieve a sympathetic yet motivational feeling. Displaying pleasant pictures of animals helps create an image for the audience of innocence and helplessness, while also informing readers about animal experimentation. PETA persuades the audience into believing that they could be saving the lives of innocent creatures. The images of the animals that have been tested on makes the audience feel motivated to help prevent and take a stand against this type of animal cruelty. Not only does PETA use disturbing pictures to shock the audience, they also use videos. These videos are put in the middle of the written section, providing a larger chance for the audience to watch them. Watching these videos and looking at these pictures of tormented animals makes the audience want to take action to stop animal experimentation. These appeals that affect emotion are ways people will act quickly, and donate immediately. This is their most efficient appeal for their goal, using emotion to attach the audience to a problem that they have the power to stop. Most of the time, animals make people happy, and when people see the creatures that make them happy being abused, it can cause for rash decisions, which PETA wants. Donating and gift buying can result from seeing the offensive pictures and videos shown throughout this website. The offensive pictures and videos are proof of the torture, giving reason to donate money to the organization. This is how PETA gets their support and money they need to continue to attack animal experimentation.
Another way PETA uses pathos for persuasive power is through visual strategies. Using these help to persuade the audience to agree with PETA’s beliefs. The images of the animals are essential for their website because this is the best way to get audiences’ attention. PETA is all about saving animals, and that is what the readers want to learn about when they read. This strategy of placing pictures of animals on the screen persuades the audience to feel bad for the animals, and makes them want to donate to help save them.
PETA uses their font type to visually portray that they are serious about stopping animal experimentation. Even though the colors they use throughout their website, bright blues and greens, make the matter seem light, they use font to establish the seriousness. By using a straight and black font, PETA presents themselves as businesslike. If they were to use a more fun or funky font for their website, it wouldn’t match the tone they are trying to set. This helps their persuasive power also, avoiding the look of nonsense and unimportance. This tone-setting assists the rhetor in helping to support their claim by stimulating the audience’s emotions in order to elicit compassion, and, thus, agreement.
PETA uses ethos by showing the audience the different accomplishments this organization has made to help put an end to animal cruelty. Companies all over the world have banned cosmetic testing on animals and this “decision follows vigorous campaigning by PETA”. This influences the audiences with their thinking or action because they can be confident this program is dedicated to making a change for animals. One thing, however, that this website lacks in ethos is adopting a reasonable tone. PETA doesn’t treat alternative viewpoints fairly to demonstrate sensibility. On this website they are persuading and arguing against animal experimentation, but it doesn’t show that PETA can be reasonable with other opinions. Because it lacks respect for a second opinions on the issue, it enhances their objective, making this website good for persuasion. The website doesn’t contain information regarding any beneficial aspects animal experimentation has. PETA uses information regarding only the negative, which help supports all of their claims. Many of the features on this website encourages readers to have confidence in what PETA is saying. This is where PETA gains the trust of the intended audience in order to influence their thinking.
Using logos is another way PETA has persuasive power over its audience. By providing facts about the millions of animals that are a part of experimentation, it provides rational and relevant evidence for their persuasive, argumentative, and informative part of the website. By including videos, this also appeals to the logical aspect of PETA. These examples provide the audience with proof that animal experimentation “facilities imprison millions of animals”. The facts PETA provides for the audience help link greatly with the emotional aspect of their persuasive website. This is essential for their website because not only are there facts given, but they also connect with the other appeals, especially pathos. PETA uses examples and statistics throughout their website to increase their power of persuasion. Using the logos appeal, PETA ties in relevant and rational evidence throughout their website. This is essential in supporting their claims and persuading their audience into mutual agreement about the topic.
Throughout their entire work, PETA uses many rhetorical features to persuade and inform about, and argue against animal experimentation. The use of pathos connects to the audience’s emotions, attracting their ideas to more enthusiasts. This helps PETA’s cause because animals are important to many people which can make an emotional impact on someone if an animal is being tortured. The use of ethos is important in persuading the audience, leaving out any benefits of animal experimentation, and rather just saying the negative. Leaving out the benefits that animal experimentation can have, gives PETA’s website the ability to express their opinion and exclude any alternative attitudes. This gives PETA a great argumentative and persuasive source. Also, with logos, the use of facts and statistics makes this website a great informative source. PETA does a great job using all three of these appeals, each attract the audience into protesting against animal experimentation and leads them to possibly be active supporters. The use of fonts and colors throughout their website is also an excellent way to appeal to the audience. It establishes a sense of seriousness while also giving a sympathetic tone. Everything used in PETA’s website can be used to persuade, argue against, and inform their audience about animal experimentation. These are great strategies that help support their claim without the audience knowing about these appeals that are affecting the way they read this website. The audience can easily be persuaded on the subject without knowing, which PETA does throughout their entire website.
Works Cited
"Animals Used for Experimentation." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2014. <http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/>.