Question

read the excerpt from \take the tortillas out of your poetry.\

in other cases, the censoring has been direct and brutal. on february 28, 1981 the morning newspaper carried a story about the burning of my novel, bless me, ultima. the book was banned from high school classes in bloomfield, new mexico, and a school board member was quoted as saying: \we took the books out and personally saw that they were burned.\

which type of rhetoric used most shows how the powerful use censorship to silence the powerless?

an appeal to emotion
an appeal to ethics
an appeal to logic
an appeal to the author’s character

Explanation:

To determine the rhetorical appeal, we analyze each option:

• Appeal to emotion: The excerpt describes the direct and brutal censorship (burning of a novel, banning from schools). This evokes strong emotions (anger, outrage, sadness) about the injustice of powerful figures silencing the powerless, as it highlights a harsh, emotional event.
• Appeal to ethics: This would focus on moral principles or the speaker's credibility in an ethical context, which isn't the focus here.
• Appeal to logic: This relies on facts, data, or reasoning to persuade, but the excerpt uses a vivid, emotional example rather than logical arguments.
• Appeal to author’s character: This (ethos) is about the author’s credibility, not shown here as the focus is on the event’s emotional impact.

The description of book burning and censorship is designed to stir emotions about the unfairness of the powerful silencing others, so it’s an appeal to emotion.

Answer:

an appeal to emotion