The Rhetorical Devices Used by Gandhi in His Letter to Lord Irwin

Subject and Section
Professor’s name
Date
The Rhetorical Devices Used by Gandhi in His Letter to Lord Irwin
In a protest against the British Colonizers, Mahatma Gandhi led the Indians to fight the oppressors using a non-violent protest through the world-renowned “Salt March.” It was a deviant movement against the colonizers that freed India from the shackles of Britain in 1947. However, before the Salt March, Gandhi composed a letter for Viceroy Lord Irwin to convince him of the Indians’ right to freedom. To strengthen his appeals, Gandhi utilized rhetorical devices to bring an excellent persuasive letter addressed to the Viceroy, stating that India’s independence must be maintained while continuing the nation’s relationship with Britain.
At the beginning of his letter, Gandhi used pathos, ethos, and logos consecutively. The letter began with the words, “I know that in embarking on non-violence, I shall be running what might fairly be termed a mad risk. But the victories of truth have never been won without risks, often of the gravest character.” (The College Board lines 1-2). Here, Gandhi is trying to illustrate India’s position against Britain. This shows that India, at the time, was inferior to Britain, and writing the letter addressed to the Viceroy may endanger the writer, who, in this case, was Gandhi. The initial statement demonstrates the writer’s fears. However, it also showed courage, for he risked himself to fight for his fellow Indians’ rights to their land. The first statement was followed by a conviction that victories cannot be won without jeopardizing one’s safety (The College Board 3-4). These lines reinforce the strength of the character of the letter showing bravery, thereby appealing to the reader’s resolution. Then, Gandhi stated a fact on how a nation becomes converted from one type to the other. It is when Gandhi combined pathos with logos to rationalize the emotions that his and his fellow citizens feel against their oppressors and how they came about deciding to fight back. Here, he clarified that a nation’s conversion is often based on violence, where the only nation tries to tame the inferior nation by plundering on the latter’s rights and properties, which almost always happens whether consciously or unconsciously. This has been a known method since ancient times, and since it is about time that India must fight back, the citizens have stood up to risk their lives to claim their land using the same method while omitting violence as the main instrument against their foes (The College Board ...