Analysis of the Speech A Whisper of AIDS

Chris Barts

October 28, 2009

In the speech A Whisper of AIDS, Mary Fisher uses many techniques

to get the audience on her side to ensure her speech is as persuasive as

possible. She establishes her ethos multiple times in multiple ways, assuring

the audience she has good intentions, is qualified to speak to them on this

subject, and is morally capable of speaking to them, even though she has

AIDS. Her pathos is equally well-established: Shes a mother with children,

the implication being that shes not going to see them grow up. Finally, her

logos is bolstered by facts and figures, which also play into her ethos.

Mary Fisher works hard to establish her ethos throughout the speech,

because she has a lot of prejudices to overcome. She establishes that shes

a straight woman, contrary to the idea only homosexuals can get AIDS. She

establishes that shes in a committed, monogamous relationship, contrary

to the idea only libertines can get AIDS. She establishes that shes not a

hemophiliac, contrary to the idea that the only moral people who get AIDS

are receiving blood of questionable quality. Finally, and most importantly,

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she establishes that shes religious in terms that strongly suggest shes Chris-

tian, which, in the mind of her audience, goes a long way to discrediting the

idea only immoral people can get AIDS.

Her pathos comes from the fact she has a family and the implied notion,

much stronger back then, that AIDS is a relatively swift death sentence. She

mentions putting her children to bed in the tenderest of terms, against the

day she wont be there to comfort them. She mentions her husband and the

monogamous relationship they share, against the day hell be left a widower.

Both of those things establish ethos as well, but their primary purpose is

pathos.

Her logos is bolstered by citing figures. She does this not only to demon-

strate her own preparedness, but to engage the rational faculties of her au-

dience and to convince them AIDS is a growing problem in this country.

This, again, also goes to ethos and, for those who can visualize the number

of people involved, pathos as well.

Her speech is well-constructed and gripping, but it would not be the

same as the speech she would give to a more sympathetic audience. Were

she speaking to a more sympathetic audience, she would not need to establish

her ethos quite as much, and she would not need to pound so hard on the

notion that AIDS is a problem for everyone. However, that was precisely

what the conservatives needed to hear at that time and place, and she did

an admirable job of stating it.

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