Thesis Statement: The image employs visual rhetoric through ethos, logos and pathos, leading to a belief in a male-dominated culture where men are most likely to oppress women.
Gender inequality remains visible as the male partner tries to exhibit authoritative gestures, oppressing the female partner. The image conveys a persuasive message of male power and dominance over females. The male figure displays his anger and impatience during his encounter with the female. It depicts the male’s desires for power and control as he treats the female in a harsh manner. The aggression and power-hungry nature of the man becomes visible as he attempts to repress his wife. It clearly transmits the idea that male holds controlling power and authority, and they can treat their partners in any way they like. As dominance and relative submissiveness are interdependent, the male becomes a superior and powerful entity in a relationship.
The central reason for the claim is the visual depiction of a male-female relationship, showing the male partner repressing the female. The image highlights the fact that feminine oppression is the result of the male desire to attain power and control. To claim that power, they will choose aggression and dominance to suppress females. Another reason supporting the claim is the less powerful state of the women appearing in the image. The female in the image does not protest depicting her acceptance of male dominance. She is the weaker entity in the image and displays no intentions to protest against the male power of control (Coontz).
The visual rhetoric makes the image more lucid as it involves the appropriate use of ethos, pathos and logos. Logos represent the appeal by conveying certain logic. The assessment of the image depicts the logic of sexual inequality. The reason is apparent in the expressions of the participants as the male figure displays anger, authority and control, while the female partner exhibits fear, pain and acceptance. Logic is also apparent in the representation of indigenous cultures where the male controls the wife and remains the common idea of claiming superiority. The image confers the same idea of males attempting to conquer and subjugate other genders, thus motivating them to oppress women. The logic also displays the attempts of the male member to increase their sense of significance and status, motivating him to offset the modern idea of gender equality. Reasons for oppression are also apparent in the commanding nature of the male reflected through his actions. The logo illustrates male acclamation to entitlement and superiority (Coontz).
Ethos provides the evidence that supports the claims drawn by the image. The evidence is apparent in the gestures of the male and female partners. The close assessment of the male gestures reveals the attributes of aggression, authority, confidence and command. Muscularity transmits the idea of male supremacy, allowing him to control females. The image displays a punch pointing at the face of a woman, thus becoming a perfect symbol of male aggression and power. The creator of the image shares the patriarchal views supporting feminine oppression. Evidence is also apparent in the feminine gesture that is unable to generate an appropriate response.
Pathos focuses on emotions as it builds sympathy for the female figure. Pathos works more in conjunction with logos and ethos, which helps in proving the main argument. However, it also shows the other side of the story by emphasizing the woman’s expressions and her role. Through pathos, audiences related the subject with the social constructs that treat women as inferior and dependent entities. The image evokes emotions of sympathy and consolation as the audience reads the expressions of the female figure. The assessment of the male figure provokes emotions of dislike, hatred and acceptance. Pathos plays an effective role in driving the emotions of the audience, as they are able to identify the gender gap. The emotional appeal becomes visible as the image incites feelings that promote the idea of equality. The oppressed state of the female works more as it seeks attention and empathy. The audience puts them in her state to realize the implications of the situation. Emotional responses of anger, horror and discomfort influence the audience to see the darker side of the patriarchal system (Coontz).
The image tries to attain rhetorical appeal by creating a visual information structure conveying the deeper meaning. The image includes a graphical depiction and creates adequate expressions that convey the message to the audience. The image persuades the audience for two reasons: the supporters and opponents of feminine oppression. The image persuades the supporters of feminine oppression as it supports the social constructs recognizing females as inferior and of secondary importance to males. The image persuades the opponents of feminine oppression be promoting the idea of female resistance. The image shows the pain, misery and discomfort of the females, encouraging audiences to reject the traditional notion of male supremacy. It also provokes the females to claim equality and resist suffering. The image employs perfect colors of gray, black and white. It does not use bright colors as they don’t suit the theme. The graphical structure of the image makes the message more readable and vivid for the audience.
The textual image incorporates effective visual rhetoric through the employment of logos, ethos and pathos, thus making the message more readable. Through the intelligent choice of rhetoric tools, the creator tries to convey gender inequality and male authority. Appropriate choice of gestures depicts the expressions of male arrogance and dictatorship against female weakness and fear. Masculinity is the primary cause of feminine oppression and suffering.
Work Cited
Coontz, Stephanie. “Explanations” of Male Dominance. 2017. 08 03 2018 <https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/3440-explanations-of-male-dominance>
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