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Serena Gonzalez

Professor Granillo

Hybrid English 103

22 October 2019

Cakes Importance At A Celebration

Wedding cakes are one of the most important parts of an entire wedding. They have been

used to represent a symbolic artifact that focuses on celebrating traditions that will bring good

fortune for the future. With the incorporation of symbolic artifacts and designs within the cake,

we can make a reference to rhetorical strategies. Rhetorical strategies help with analyzing an

effective or ineffective persuasion of what the speaker is trying to address. In this essay, we will

be analyzing a cake and whether it portrays a strong message on what the speaker is trying to

convey. While, Wilton cake decorating “Prisoner Of Your Love” suggests that men aren’t as

interested in weddings as brides however, a wedding main objective is to celebrate unity between

two people. The cake relies on an appeal to pathos and ethos based on the symbolism of the

colors and groom figurine but fails to logically address the unhappiness of the groom based on

the broken hearts represented in the cake. Therefore, the celebration of a wedding is supposed to

incorporate a mutual existence of love between the groom and the bride.

For instance, picture a two-layer two cake, covered in white frosting following a pattern

of pink and purple flowers all along the two bottom layers. The cake has pink broken hearts all

along the front of the two-layer cake. On the top of the two-layer it says “Prisoner” and on the

bottom layer of the cake it says “ Of Your Love “. On the very top layer of the cake sits a bride
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standing up high and tall, with a key in her hand. Besides her, sits the groom with a weight

chained to his leg. The groom also expresses a very sad facial expression while the bride is

smiling. There is also a pink heart that sits behind the bride and the groom, with strings along the

inside of the heart.

Although the cake does interpret an idea of what a wedding cake is supposed to

represent, it fails to portray the existence of love between the groom and the bride. The cake does

this by portraying a message with the pink broken hearts, all along the front of the two-layer

cake. This message illustrates that the groom is not in love or isn’t interested in marriage.

Marriage is supposed to involve a partnership, a lifelong commitment with someone you love. A

wedding cake ideal audience is supposed to accommodate the newlyweds and their guests. This

is based on the traditions that revolve around the symbolic meaning of a wedding cake and who

the traditions are intended for; guest or the newlyweds.

For instance, the symbolic meaning behind the colors purple, pink, and white illustrate pathos.

Pathos is a form of argument based on emotions and the cake illustrates that by interpreting the

right emotions for the audience to convey through the specific colors the speaker choose. The

color pink, purple, and white were selected to create a feeling that leans more towards a warm

atmosphere according to the article “Colour and Its Effects In Interior Enviremoen: A Review”

by Soma Kalia states “In colour terms, the hues on the warm side of the color circle are generally

understood as comfortable, cozy, and pleasant.” This quote explains that different colors have

different interpretations based on physiological factors that revolve around that specific color.

For instance, pink represent Love and soothing which creates an emotional transition. The color

purple represents mystery which creates a perspective on emotional issues. While white
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represents simplicity and purity which is often associated with a peaceful feeling. These three

colors combine are strongly supporting the fact that the cake allows the audience to feel

happiness because these colors are very consistent and are evenly used throughout the cake.

These colors are also supporting the emotions that are typically represented at a wedding because

weddings are typically known for being associated with happiness.

Ethos has been incorporated within this cake through the groom’s figurine. Ethos is a

form of argument based on a character or authority. The groom figurine gives credibility to the

idea that he is not happy because of the body language and the facial expression it displays. The

groom can be seen putting weight on his hands with his face and has a sad facial expression He

is also seen chained down to a heavyweight on his leg. This can symbolize the fact that the

groom isn’t happy about being married. For instance, Rachel Graham states in her article,” Have

You Epideictic Rhetoric, and It Eats, To,” The connection between the educative possibility of

food and the representation of individual values is a common theme of rhetoric scholarship.”

This quote demonstrates that the figurine the cake decorator choose to incorporate onto this cake

could be a feeling that is possibly associated with the groom because he probably chose to

incorporate this topper. Also, wedding cake has been generally known to be based on the

groom’s and wife’s preferences and they are allowed to choose their topers. The groom figurine

is represented and placed in the center of the cake allows the audience’s eyes to be drawn to it, so

initially, it is an attention grabber. The fact that the upset groom is the first thing the audience

will see at the wedding builds up the credibility that the groom isn’t happy about being involved

in the marriage. Although the groom being involved in the wedding cake strongly supports the

idea that the groom is involved in the wedding somehow, maybe by tradition or he is just doing it
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to please his wife. Females are generally socially known to be the ones to want a wedding and

guys are socially known not to care for one.

Also, logos has been represented in the cake through the chains and the wieght on the

groom’s figurine left foot. Logos is a form of argument that is based on logic or facts. So, The

idea of the wieght being chained to his foot represents the groom is being held down by

something. This could mean that he is going to hold it down for his bride through sickness and in

health until he is ready to be let go since his bride holds the key to the wieght. This symbolizes

the wedding rings because on a topper the wedding rings are not as visible seen so they had to be

emphasized to show how in love they are. I say this because the wieght is shown on the left foot

and the bride holds the key on her left hand. Wedding rings are generally known to be associated

within the left hand and can be taken off and put on based on where the groom and bride

relationship stands just like the wieght can be taken off at any time. The cake does represent to

its audience that the wieght on the groom’s left foot means he is indeed in love because the

groom has allowed himslef to be tied down to his bride cause she holds the key to his wieght.

This is typically stating that the groom and his bride are in it together and trust one another based

on the idea that the bride has the key and the wieght is chained up to him.

Despite, the cake fails on representing logos, false diplomacy. False diplomacy is present in

the cake because they fail to address the happiness a groom should feels towards his wedding

day. For example in the article ,” Introduction to critical thinking and analysis“ by Hyer Suggest

that “The first three logical fallacies are poor uses of logic because they try to support an

argument by introducing ideas that are not relevant to the idea.” This quote allows the idea that

the cake’s argument of a happy wedding day isn’t being involved because of the usage of broken
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hearts. The Broken hearts are dipped in the color pink throughout the two-layer cake. From what

we know of the color pink from the previous paragraph on ethos, pink is a representation of love.

This could possibly mean that the pink involved within the broken heart symbolizes the affection

that may be broken between the groom and the bride. The heart that is broken represents that he

is heartbroken or that he isn’t involved in the wedding. The broken pink hearts are clearly visible

because it used through the whole front of the cake from top to bottom. It is also spread out

evenly. This adds to the idea that he wants to attract the attention of his audience and explain

through the cake that he isn’t happy about the wedding.

In conclusion, The wedding cake by Wilton cake decorating suggests that the groom isn’t

happy About marriage. However, it does involve the idea of what a wedding cake is supposed to

represent but fails to represent mutual love and excitement about the wedding between the groom

and bride. The cake relies on the colors and groom figurine to create a strong persuasion but fails

to persuade through logos by the pink broken hearts. Pathos has been used throughout the colors

and it supports the feeling of what a wedding should represent. Ethos is conducted through the

groom figurine because it portrays the traditional aspect of getting married even though he is not

happy or in love. Logos has been incorporated within this cake by the wieght on the groom’s left

foot to show that he is involved in this marriage because his wife wants it. False diplomacy has

been used to represent the symbols of broken hearts to illustrate that the groom isn't happy. This

message the cake wants their audience to take from this is that brides shouldn’t expect too much

from their future groom because they don't like weddings. Also, it could portray that the groom

or bride should make sure that both of them are physically and emotionally want this.
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Works Cited

Kalia, Soma. “Colour and Its Effects in Interior Environment: a Review “- Semantic Scholar, 1

Jan.1970

Graham, Rachel. “Have Your Epideictic Rhetoric, and Eat It, Too,” George Mason University

“Prisoner of your love”, Wilton Cake Decorating, Pinterest