This speech given by Sacheen Littlefeather, representing Marlon Brando at the academy awards in 1973. Brando had recently received the Best Actor Academy Award for his role in the Godfather. This speech was written during the American Indian Movement siege of Wounded Knee in 1973, and Marlon did not attend the event himself and refused the Oscar. In this abbreviated speech, as she was not allowed to give it in entirety, Littlefeather discussed the centuries of mistreatment of the collective American Indians by people of European decent, but predominately by the American government. She goes on to relate how the motion picture industry was heavily responsible for this by making a mockery of the American Indian, depicting them as savage, hostile and evil. A particularly moving statement made during this speech by Mrs. Littlefeather was, " What kind of moral schizophrenia is it that allows us to shout at the top of our national voice for all the world to hear that we live up to our commitment when every page of history and when all the thirsty, starving, humiliating days and nights of the last 100 years in the lives of the American Indian contradict that voice?" This clearly points out the hypocrisy of the American government by making empty promises to these people and feeling no obligation to follow through afterwards.
In my analysis of this speech, I plan to show how Brando and Littlefeather, used Pathos to appeal to the emotions of their audience to stand up against the atrocities still being inflicted on the Indian people, Ethos to show the blatant disregard of moral ethics in the treatment of the American Indians, and Logos in a step by step leading argument to show how so much of their treatment to date was wrong and still continues to be wrong. Brando felt very strongly about this area of American history, even refusing to attend the Oscars in lieu of going to wounded knee himself to help in whatever way he could. Hopefully in my rhetorical analysis of this speech I can help infect others with his fiery spirit to want to right this wrong.
Brandon, Marlin. "Letters." AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT GRAND GOVERNING COUNCIL . 30 March 1973. American Indian Movement. 4 Oct 2013. <http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/letters.html>.
Sonney, the speech you are analyzing sounds very interesting and should be enjoyable for you to read. You should have not problems finding pathos in the speech, because just in the quote that you included, it sounded very emotional. From what you wrote in your last paragraph, I can tell that your paper will most likely be very well written. Good luck!
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