Paige Gibson

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Rhetorical Analysis of We’ll Go Forward From This Moment

Pitts argues that America will stay strong through the horrific event that occurred on

9/11 by using repetition, rhetorical questions, and the use of 1st person pronouns. In Pitts’ article

he clearly states “You monster. You beast.”(Pitts 1). He puts emphasis on the word “you”

through repetition to express his hatred towards the terrorists. By addressing terrorists directly he

makes his argument more prominent. The short statements clearly shows his attitude and stance

toward the terrorists; he is enraged and wants something to be done. The insults Pitts uses

characterizes the terrorists by directly stating their temperament. He believes they are of a cruel

nature and that they don’t have the same moral standards as the average human being. The

repetition and use of parallelism makes his argument clear and easy to remember; It adds power

to his statements and impacts his argument greatly. The repetition also helps to strengthen his

argument by bringing people together with the mutual feelings they have about 9/11. One of the

most powerful strategies Pitts uses is rhetorical questions. The beginning of each question starts

with the words “Did you want…” the use of repetition makes the questions stand out to the

reader. The questions help the reader connect with Pitts' writing by giving the reader an

opportunity to stop and think about the question displayed in the reading. This helps the audience

feel like they are a part of the story and keeps them engaged in important parts of the news

article. The rhetorical question “Did you want to tear us apart?” gets the reader to think about

how the attacks on 9/11 tore people apart, while it additionally gets them to think about how

people came together and helped one another (Pitts 1). It also argues that America will persevere
through this tragedy and come together as a country. It also argues that the mess the terrorists

have created only fuels America's fire. It makes us stronger. The short statements answer the

questions and create the connection the reader has with the author. For example when Pitts says

“you just brought us together” he creates a sense of unity with his American readers. Along with

rhetorical questions Pitts also uses 1st person pronouns constantly throughout the text. The use of

1st person pronouns helps build Pitts' argument by showing the audience how they are already

united; they are already working together to help those in need and get justice for the ones they

lost. These 1st person pronouns such as “we” are used a lot throughout Pitts' article. Pitts’ uses

these pronouns to make a deep connection with his American readers. These pronouns create a

sense of nationalism through the readers. By saying we the author believes he is speaking for the

people and that they are all in mutual agreement. By addressing that he is not the only one who

believes in his stance, he is indirectly persuading the audience to make a stand as well; they are

also part of the solution, they are valuable. Pitts' article impacted lots of people for the better. It

made them feel connected and empowered not only their community but also their country.