Rhetorical analysis of the Communist Manifesto

Marx’s aim was to leave an influence on the proletarians to take action against capitalism. In order to achieve his aim, he needed to build up confidence therefore he used powerful language which included epistrophes. He wrote, “It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connections everywhere” (I. pg16.). In this quote, Marx describes the force of capitalism and production. The repetition of the word “everywhere” shows his dedication towards making the proletarians’ life better. He uses this technique in order to brand his ideology into everyone’s mind. Marx causes attention to the word “everywhere” because he wants to show them that communism will give them the opportunity to live wherever they want without being discriminated by the bourgeoisie. Marx used other repetition figures such as anaphora to establish a greater connection between him and the proletarians and to earn their trust. He needs the proletarians to see him as an authoritarian to achieve his goal, which is to diminish capitalism. In this excerpt, the exposition of every paragraph is “The bourgeoisie”; this anaphora has similar affects as the epistrophe is used throughout the Manifesto. He used this technique to get their attention on something they can act on which is the bourgeoisie. The constant repetition will also evoke them that the bourgeoisie has more power than them. Making them realize will eventually make them act upon their rights resulting in Marx and Engel achieving their goal.

The author needed to leave an impact to proletarians and the best way to do it was to ask them a question to think about. At the denouement of such excerpt, Marx asked a rhetorical question, “what earlier century had even a presentiment that such productive forces slumbered in the lap of social labour?” (I. pg,17). In this question, Marx refers to the past by asking if it were the same in the earlier centuries. This will make the proletarians think more about their situations, which will lead them to unite them all to act upon capitalism. Marx and Engel used this tool to make them realize their unity and how important it is. They wanted to undermine the bourgeoisie by asking the proletarians a question in such they would not answer but think on it.

Marx and Engel also logos in order to arouse the anger of the proletariat against the bourgeoisies so agree with the idea of communism. Through the use of a syllogism, a logical argument that has a major premise, which lead to a conclusion, the authors present their argument that in capitalist societies, the bourgeoisie take advantage of, and oppress the proletariat. The major premise that “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” sets up the contention that capitalism takes advantage of the working class. Marx and Engels then give examples: “Freeman and slave, patrician and plebian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed…”. The implied conclusion is that the rich and powerful bourgeoisie oppress the poor and weak proletariat.

Marx and Engel were evoking the emotion of solidarity to solve the problem of class discrimination. Marx’s idea was to arise the proletarians all together in order to create an “uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions”. In order to do this he needed to win the Proletarians’ confidence and therefore he used efficient language that would make them think that he is an expertise in solving this problem. His language was meant to unify the proletarians to take an action for their rights. His appeal to solidarity made the proletarians think that unity could make a change. By using reason to give an effective argument (usage of logos) and by adding linguistic techniques (usage of anaphora, epistrophe and rhetorical questions), Marx and Engels employed the art of rhetoric in a manner that affects the reader greatly.