A Rhetorical Analysis of Ursula K. Le Guin's Commencement Address

This report provides a detailed rhetorical analysis of Ursula K. Le Guin's commencement address, focusing on her use of ethos, pathos, and logos. The analysis explores how Le Guin effectively conveys her message about women's rights and gender equality. The report examines how Le Guin uses these rhetorical devices to connect with the audience, appeal to their emotions, and present logical arguments. It highlights her use of inclusive language and her ability to balance the different rhetorical elements. The report also discusses the historical context of the speech and its lasting impact. The analysis emphasizes Le Guin's unique approach to the commencement speech format and her ability to address sensitive topics in a compelling and thought-provoking manner.

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A Left-Handed Commencement Address Rhetorical Analysis
A Left-Handed Commencement Address by Ursula Le Guin does not necessarily fit into
the typical category of commencement speeches. People expect stories of success from
commencement speeches, a trend that she deviates from. She talks about failure. She brilliantly
and effortlessly manages to craft a message that any woman in the audience would relate to. Le
Guin uses ethos, pathos, and logos, to explain to the women how difficult it is to succeed in the
world, particularly for women.
Ethos entails whether the audience perceives the speaker as credible or not. Even though
we do not have a tape for the address, we are sure that it must have been convincing enough for
it to surpass the constraints of time and space. Her word choice was significant to the situation.
She repetitively uses the pronoun ‘we’ which helps the audience to identify more with her (Guin
1). The language choice in her speech reveals that discrimination towards women is a
widespread problem which results in similar struggles among women. Her choice of subject is
convincing too. Despite the topic being controversial, she strives as much as possible to adopt an
objective point of view without necessarily getting emotional about it and uttering unjustifiable
comments.

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Pathos is concerned with the extent to which the speaker engages the audience’s
emotions. Ideally, anyone reading or listening to the speech will be compelled to rethink the
status of women’s rights. In the commencement address, she appeals for a society whereby the
voices of women are treated just like those of men (Guin 2). Le Guin taps much in the roots of
injustices, empathy and frustration. These concepts appeal to the emotions of the audience. She
does in a manner that anyone listening or reading the speech can absolutely agree with her. Her
appeal to empathy prompts the audience to view the world in the perspective of a woman and
establish just how life has been unfair to the women.
Logos refers to the elements that the speaker uses to appeal to the logic of the audience.
Basically, Le Guin employs a pretty logical approach in the speech. She implies that men have
had so much privilege and should allow women to have it as well. Her arguments are sensible,
especially for the womenfolk. She postulates that the women should also be allowed to have their
share of happiness just like men have had theirs. Anyone reading the speech will probably nod at
most points of it. She enlists the professions that were entirely left for men historically which
spurs thinking of whether this ought to have been the case in societies which advocate for gender
equality.
Even though Le Guin uses a different approach in her address, she appears to have
mastered its craft so well. She strikes a balance among the three rhetorical devices despite the
subject matter being so sensitive. She does not get carried away by the pathos at the expense of
the logos. Her speech is an extraordinary one considering that she might not have known much
about gender relations as she wrote extensively on science fiction.

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Work Cited
Guin, Ursula K. Le. "A Left-Handed Commencement Address." 1983.