rough draft

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.