The Burka and the Bikini- a Rhetorical Analysis Free Essay Example, 750 words

of the of the Concerned 21 November The Burka and the Bikini- a Rhetorical Analysis The article The Burka and the Bikini by Brumberg and Jackson comes down heavily on any attempt to commoditize or regiment the female looks and physique, in a systematic and rational way. It goes without saying that the readers that Brumberg and Jackson tend to target are the open minded and rational individuals and groups, who do not mind any well intentioned and forward looking objection to their perceptions and way of thinking. The crux of the argument in this article is to deplore the commoditization or regimentation of women by both the radical and the forward looking societies. At the very start of their rational, Brumberg and Jackson address the emotive conscience of the target audience by linking the commoditization of the female physique in the Western societies to the war for the women’s rights in Afghanistan (194). This ploy is indeed a suitable and appropriate tactics on the part of Brumberg and Jackson in the sense that they well understand the emotive appeal that the war in Afghanistan has for the so called open minded Western readers. We will write a custom essay sample on The Burka and the Bikini- a Rhetorical Analysis or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Perhaps, the intention of Brumberg and Jackson seems to tap into the collective emotional pool of the target audience by establishing a rational correlation between the regimentation of the female attire by the Taliban and the commoditization of the female physique in the Western societies. This strategy allows them to solicit an unhampered attention from the target audience. Yet, the ingenuity of Brumberg and Jackson lies in their ability to first solicit the reader’s attention and then to shatter their cherished notions of female dignity and freedom, by referring to the almost nude portrayal of women in the American television commercials and programs (194). The net impact of this strategy is that it leaves the reader’s with an unguarded attention, so necessary to bring home the point that challenges their notions of normal and regular, so far as the female physique is concerned. Any other approach towards linking the Talibanization of the female attire with the gross commercialization of the female physique in the West perhaps would have fallen flat on its face. Brumberg and Jackson, proceed from these point onwards to elaborate on the changing attitudes towards the female physique across generations be mentioning that â€Å"In Victorian America, good works were a measure of female character, while today good looks reign supreme (194). † This self evident veracity of this appeal allows the writers to establish the connection between commoditization of the female physique in the West to the fast deteriorating emotional and physical health of the women in these societies. Brumberg and Jackson further bolster their point by bringing in a credible body of opinion like The American Medical Association. So the approach of Brumberg and Jackson is twin pronged, first to solicit the reader’s attention by using emotions to bring down any resistance they may have evinced, and then to cite the historical and medical facts to cement the response they intend to glean from the reader’s. Once the writers succeed in doing so, they do afford to expand on their approach by referring to the extremes of regimentation that the women have to bear with in Afghanistan and the subtle and subconscious approach of the Western societies that makes women spend billions on cosmetic surgery and diets (Brumberg & Jackson p. 195). It goes without saying that from this point onwards, it becomes relatively easier for the target audience to understand that coercion is not the only possible way of controlling female looks and physique, as it is done in Afghanistan. It is also possible to put restraints on women’s body in a subtle and indirect way, as it happens in the West. There is no denying the fact that beyond this, the writers must have certainly succeeded in grabbing the support and attention of any rational and open minded reader. Certainly the writers are astute enough to understand the impact their tactics had on the target audience by now. So once again they try to strengthen and reinforce this impact by commenting on the pragmatic and humane urgency of doing away with the set notions in the American culture, that drastically impact the overall health of the American women (195). In conclusion, the writers do convey to the readers that the quintessential validity of their appeal is not moral, but rather dedicated to the emotional and mental health of the contemporary women (195). To put it simply, the line of argument undertaken by the writers in this article is emotionally balanced and rationally convincing, effectively customized to address the readers they plan to target.