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Sydney Woods

Justice 4A

English III

13 October 2023

Rhetorical Analysis Timed Writing

In this speech given by former president Barack Obama, he uses description for the

majority to convey his message in honor of Rosa Parks. Description is essentially when the

author describes something; in this case, it’s an event or story. He uses this method throughout

this speech as he makes his point. He begins in paragraph two, line ten, after opening this section

with a quote from a childhood friend, “A childhood friend once said about Mrs. Parks , “Nobody

ever bossed Rosa around and got away with it.” That’s what an Alabama driver learned on

December 1, 1955.” He goes on to tell this story that is so famously known including its effects,

“Three-hundred and eighty-five days after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, the boycott

ended. Black men and women and children reboarded the buses of Montgomery, newly

desegregated, and sat in whatever seat happened to be open. And with that victory, the entire

edifice of segregation, like the ancient walls of Jericho, began to slowly come tumbling down.”

This way of storytelling effectively conveys the impact of the event to the audience,

especially when paired with his tone. He uses comparison and impactful speech that helps the

reader or listener truly understand his feelings. This is good with description because it can add

more to the story without details. Also, telling the full story along with its impact allows the

reader or listener full understanding of the situation. By using description, Obama shows his

method of storytelling, which can greatly impact the way that helps you to connect to the story
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and keep you engaged. Obama successfully makes his point and conveys his message to the end

using description, keeping the reader’s attention and providing understanding.