Angelou’s “story,” Graduation, appeals to both pathos and ethos. Pathos taps into emotions like pity or sadness, while ethos appeals to ethical principles. At the beginning of Angelou’s story, she vividly describes the excitement of her graduation, with every detail contributing to the overall sentiment. For instance, she recounts how her dress was meticulously crafted by her mother, creating a sense of anticipation and beauty. As the story progresses, Angelou ultimately reveals the ethical dimension when Mr. Donleavy takes the stage to deliver his speech. His words convey how their societal roles as maids, farmers, handymen, and washerwomen limited their aspirations and made any ambition seem unrealistic. This declaration has a profound impact on the students, causing them to lower their heads in defeat while the faculty turns a blind eye.
Everyone at the event, except Mr. Donleavy, appeared to lack motivation and feel discouraged. The text uses Mr. Donleavy’s speech as an example of the unethical behavior and failure of society to uphold ethics for the African-American community. Mr. Donleavy only mentioned sports as potential activities for the graduating class, disregarding women and non-athletic career paths such as cotton picking, cleaning, or farming. His speech was highly unethical as it stereotyped the talented graduates in front of him. Angelou initially felt excited and hopeful for her future, sharing various details about her graduation day and the days leading up to it. However, as her narrative unfolded, her excitement gradually turned into despair and negativity about her identity and future. Angelou’s use of a scene change strongly impacts every reader by illustrating the drastic shift in emotions, mindset, and even physical appearance. The students and faculty also changed their posture as their perception of their situation transformed.
During their conversation, Mr. Donleavy and Angelou touched upon various aspects of her life, future, and the perception that she was destined for insignificance. Mr. Donleavy expressed frustration about a predominantly Caucasian school that had access to advanced technology, while their disadvantaged school faced struggles. Angelou’s description of graduation in twelve pages evoked a range of emotions. Despite its supposed joyous nature, Angelou felt deeply unhappy with her identity as an individual within her community and country. America, a nation known for its pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness, has witnessed shifts in people’s perspectives and morals. As we eagerly await unity, we coexist in a world filled with individuals who fail to comprehend the true essence of acceptance for both people and things in our society.
