Question

"Wilberforce 1789 abolition speech"
by William Wilberforce

The number of deaths speaks for itself, and makes all such enquiry superfluous. As soon as ever I had arrived thus far in my investigation of the slave trade, I confess to you sir, so enormous so dreadful, so irremediable did its wickedness appear that my own mind was completely made up for the abolition.



William Wilberforce's 1789 Abolition Speech

Question
Use the speech excerpt to answer the question.

How does the word choice in this paragraph impact readers?

(1 point)
Responses

It uses a fallacious statement to persuade them.
It uses a fallacious statement to persuade them.

It appeals to their emotions.
It appeals to their emotions.

It gives them something to consider logically.
It gives them something to consider logically.

It engages their sense of ethics.

Answer 1

It appeals to their emotions.

The charged words ("enormous," "dreadful," "irremediable," "wickedness") and the phrase "the number of deaths speaks for itself" are meant to evoke outrage and sympathy rather than to present a detached logical argument.