Kristen
Ott
Professor:
Thomas
Composition
102: rough draft
28
January 2013
The arms of an Angel
How would you feel if you were walking outside and saw an
animal on the sidewalk bleeding and beaten? Whether you’re a dog lover or not,
most people can’t stand to see an animal get hurt let alone see the aftermath
of abuse. You don’t have to own an animal to understand the damage caused by
animal cruelty. Sarah McLachlan’s song “In the arms of an angel” touches your
heart no matter what the situation is. Adding hurt or abandoned animals to it
will grab your attention. Throughout BC SPCA’s commercial on animal cruelty
Sarah McLachlan used many different devices such as the overall tone, factual
information, and imagery to back up the argument and create ethos, logos, and
pathos. This commercial is about animal cruelty and focuses on campaigning for
your help. As soon as you hear the song on your television most people
automatically know what it’s for. Seeing those abused animals on your screen
and hearing how easy it is to help, it’s hard to stop to turn away.
The BC SPCA is a huge part of
creating ethos for this commercial. The BC SPCA stands for British Columbia
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This society is all about
helping abused animals and finding ways to make a better life for them through
the donations they receive. Sarah McLachlan’s background makes this video
stronger. McLachlan is a widely known pop singer and has a good reputation. She
is always a participant in the fight against animal cruelty which makes her a
good representative for the BC SPCA. Knowing about the BC SPCA and Sarah’s
background adds credibility to the commercial. The overall tone of this
commercial is not only sad but it is also persuading. While she is talking she
has a dog sitting on her lap with a sincere look on her face. Her voice sounds
powerful and intellectual which makes you buy into what she is saying. At the
end of the video Sarah says, saving an animal’s life only cost a small
percentage such as sixty cents a day. This gives you the impression that is it
very inexpensive and easy when in reality it is about 18 dollars a month and
around 216 dollars a year.
As you watch commercials come across the screen you normally
look for the logic behind them. What’s the point they are trying to get across?
The logos of an argument is very important. BC SPCA creates logos by stating
factual information and showing the real life effects of cats and dogs that
have been treated cruelly. Throughout the video there are pictures of the
injuries pets have enquired by their past owners. Some are badly beaten and
some are even missing limbs. Along with this harsh reality towards the end
Sarah tells you some facts about the abuse. For example, she explains how animals
are treated badly every day and there is one in need of your help right now.
Near the end of the video she explains how bad these animals need your help and
how easy it is to make a difference for them. This device adds to the logos and
makes the purpose of the commercial clear.
“In the arms of an angel” is a sentimental song that pulls
the stings of your heart. The lyrics of the song say “Spend all your time
waiting for that second chance, for the break that will make it ok,” these
lyrics go hand in hand with the commercial’s message. If you pay attention to
the lyrics as the video progresses you can hear things like; so tired of the
straight line, and everywhere you turn there's vultures and thieves at your
back. Powerful words like this and the tone of her voice throughout the song
create a venerable atmosphere and adds to the pathos. The last verse in the
song says, “You're in the arms of the Angels; may you find some comfort here”
although this song was not written about these animals these words flow well
with the feelings that are created in the video. Having something so slow and heartbreaking
playing in the background helps to manipulate your emotions into feeling bad
for the animals in the commercial and makes you more likely to help.
Sarah not only uses audio but also images and imagery to
evoke emotion. As the song plays several images of beaten cats and dogs pop up
on the screen. Not only the effect of this but the use of imagery as Sarah
talks at the end about the animals past allows you to picture what these
animals went through. For example, in the commercial she says animals are
beaten and abused every day and are crying out for your help. She uses strong
words and mentions things lie will you be and angel for a helpless animal.
Theses rhetorical devices make it easier for the viewer to connect with the
commercial and involve their feelings. Doing things like this bring out the
emotional side in the viewers but pathos, ethos, and logos together are what
makes the argument stronger.
The BC SPCA combines ethos, pathos, and logos to back up
their argument. The tone of the commercial makes the viewer feel more entitled
to make a donation. As the video progresses Sarah states facts at the end to
help you to better understand the severity of the issue which creates logic and
helps to get the message across. Throughout the entire video there are images
of abused animals and sad music playing in the background. These images mixed
with the imagery McLachlan creates in your mind evokes emotion and brings out
the pathos in the commercial. After listening and watching this commercial,
most people are inclined to make a donation to this organization. This video is
so convincing because it combines rhetorical devices to make each example of
pathos, ethos, and logos stronger.
