University English Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis of a Visual Medium

This essay provides a rhetorical analysis of the poster "This is the Enemy" designed by Barbara J. Marks during the Cold War. The analysis examines the poster's use of visual rhetoric, including the application of ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade the audience. The essay explores how the poster employs specific imagery, such as the use of a hand wielding a knife and the hammer and sickle, to evoke emotions and convey arguments related to the perceived threat of communism. It also discusses the historical context of the poster, the themes of communalism, and the portrayal of the Soviet Union as the enemy. The essay references Aristotle's modes of persuasion and explores how the poster's design aimed to influence the target audience's perception of the Cold War and the perceived dangers of communism. The essay also analyses the Kairos element, which is the perfect timing of the poster during the cold war to manipulate the audience's emotions.

Running head: ENGLISH ASSIGNMENTS
TITLE: ENGLISH ASSIGNMENTS
TOPIC: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF A VISUAL MEDIUM
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Pictorial or visual rhetoric involves the ability of explicit learning through the
literature as well as the talent to examine or to analyze the imageries aimed at their practices
and connotations. To Sketch on the skills from the semiotics studies to rhetorical perspectsive
always surveys the arrangement of the structure of any pictorial or any images, and the
subsequent convincing possessions with the special effect towards the audience (Huntington
and Heidi). This essay will be focusing on the poster “This is the enemy” which was
designed by Barbara J. Marks for the purpose of the office (for instance the customer) of war-
related facts. This poster is basically an intermediate of lithograph on paper as well as it is a
part of the sketch, patterns or prints, along with the graphic design section (Murray and
Michael). This poster was designed during the time of cold war in the United States.
This image presents the pathological approaches to the target audience for the
purpose of their encouragement. In the dis universe, like Superman, Batman, the two heroic
characters are always presented themselves as the reflective metaphors of each other, on the
other hand, they stare at one another as per their vision is restricted merely to what they
choose to be focused on (Johansen, Steve, and Ruth). Here the author appeals the optimistic
and triumphant colour which brings an unusual experience of both the nations’ ignorance
towards each another. The pathos stands for the plea to Emotion. This image portrays the
satirical approaches to infuriate the audience. Through this portrayal, the author has used
some illustrations of linguistic that is designed to blending up the feelings of empathy,
anxiety, annoyance and so on to the audience. By means of pathos, the contrast to the hand
and knife is intended to raid the terror hooked on the people of America (Pauwels).
Communalism, which is an anonymous figure, manipulating a knife-edge, and set to attack at
any instant. The blade is not only meant for the destruction of the country but also the
destruction of the entire continent of America. This also slashes America in halves, cracking
her awfully from within while attacking her from without. On the other hand, it infers the

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downfall of the Soviet Union which is the standpoint of certain death, imparting a “victory or
decease” mindset in to the people of America.
According to Aristotle theory, the modes of persuasion deals with the approaches of
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. In this sketch, the author has persuaded some Ethos to make
others understand in a specific point of view. In ‘Superman’, the Ethos deals with
Superman’s commonplace. The Superman/Captain America, all the prototypes are seen as the
‘talent scout’ superhero who is super talented and the saviour of the nation, the hero with no
evil side, high ethics, and untiring consecration (Walsh and Lynda). Therefore, any rubbing
carried through him is real or true. This image is the message on the concealment of an
abstract, a rational judgement of well-meaning note that has been described by the author. In
this image “This is the enemy” the author has convinced the target audience by the ethical
petition. This is how the author has portrayed the image by the creditability as well as
potentiality.
This image also incorporates with consistent arguments. The “American mortal
Enemy” delicately comprises of logos with the usage of a sledgehammer and sickle design
on the shooting arm. The hammer and sickle are the symbol of universal communism along
with Marxism, during the Russian Revolution, in Russia. The practice of this icon associated
with the communism along with all the former jeopardy and the terror unswervingly in the
Soviet Nations (Warren, Samantha, and Jane). This marks the image clear about the
argument, not only from the aspect of communalism as ‘America’s temporal enemy’ but also
explicitly, to the Soviet Union as ‘America’s temporal enemy’. This image associates the
communism and Soviet Russia through the terror, anxiety and so on and present as a similar
individual.

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Kairos also plays a significant role in this picture arguments. Individually the benefit
of the disorder and cataclysm affected because of the Cold war. The image was designed
during the elevation of the civil battle, and for the duration of the space race, which had
begun in the year 1954 and had been continued up to 1969. In this image, the equating
communism with sedition became more synonymous, and the subversion became the enemy
of the state. If the communism is a revolution, then being communist automatically makes
one American enemy.

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References
Huntington, Heidi E. "Pepper spray cop and the American dream: Using synecdoche and
metaphor to unlock Internet memes’ visual political rhetoric." Communication
Studies 67.1 (2016): 77-93.
Johansen, Steve, and Ruth Anne Robbins. "Art-iculating the analysis: systemizing the
decision to use visuals as legal reasoning." Legal Writing: J. Legal Writing Inst. 20
(2015): 57.
Murray, Michael D. "The ethics of visual legal rhetoric." Legal Comm. & Rhetoric:
JAWLD 13 (2016): 107.
Pauwels, Luc. Reframing visual social science: Towards a more visual sociology and
anthropology. Cambridge University Press, 2015.
Walsh, Lynda. "The visual rhetoric of climate change." Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews:
Climate Change 6.4 (2015): 361-368.
Warren, Samantha, and Jane Davison. "Visual methodologies for accounting and
accountability." The Routledge companion to qualitative accounting research
methods. Routledge, 2017. 136-152.