Blog 30: Analysis of A Sample Public Argument: Suffering In the Desert

Suffering in the Desert cultivates a somber tone that is intended to show the hardships and injustices experienced by Mexican immigrants attempting to cross the border into the United States. The black and white visuals, slow music, and pop-out texts with shocking statistics collectively shock the audience, and work together to create a sense of heartache and disgust amongst viewers. The emotional appeal that is heavily relied on in this argument is structured in a video that switches between visuals and text in order to establish an aesthetic connection amongst the audience. This connection allows viewers to store the graphic horrors in their memory, and remember the call to action the author is creating: Americans need to combat the maltreatment and abuse of illegal immigrants. The producer of this video establishes trust amongst her audience by implementing direct evidence and facts that stick with viewers, and persuade them to take a stance against Border violence and discrimination. The images elicit a sense of empathy from the audience by displaying the starvation, assault, hopelessness, and even death of the Mexican immigrants. The purpose of Suffering in the Desert is clear within both the visual and textual evidence: American naivety and ignorance towards border violence is resulting in inhumane actions and unnecessary deaths of innocent people.