Question

read the excerpt from \african american women in world war ii.\

this was unheard of. the united states had never drafted women into the military. yet the army still maintained the limit on african american nurses. the hypocrisy was obvious.

which best describes the rhetorical appeal used in this excerpt?

an appeal to logic and reason
an appeal to the readers emotions
an appeal to the authors authority
an appeal to the authors credibility

Explanation:

Analyze the excerpt's content and tone

The excerpt highlights a logical contradiction: the United States was considering drafting women (which was unprecedented), yet the army still restricted the participation of African American nurses. The author points out this contradiction directly by stating, "The hypocrisy was obvious."

Identify the rhetorical appeal

By pointing out a clear contradiction and calling it "obvious hypocrisy," the author appeals to the reader's sense of logic, consistency, and reason (logos) to show that the military's policy made no sense.

Evaluate the given options

• "an appeal to logic and reason" matches the identification of logical inconsistency (hypocrisy).
• "an appeal to the reader's emotions" is incorrect because the argument relies on the factual contradiction of drafting women while limiting willing nurses.
• "an appeal to the author's authority" and "an appeal to the author's credibility" are incorrect as the text does not cite the author's credentials or character.

Answer:

• an appeal to logic and reason (Correct answer)
• an appeal to the reader's emotions
• an appeal to the author's authority
• an appeal to the author's credibility