Running Head: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS 1

Rhetorical Analysis

Sea World

Jacqueline Fuentes

The University of Texas at El Paso

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Introduction

Sea World: Nine out of ten people picture a joyful, family-friendly scenery when they

hear these two words. Sea World is known as an animal theme park and a rehabilitation center

for marine mammals. Sea World offers orca theatrical shows, fun rides on big roller coasters,

underwater viewings and much more. It might be all fun and games, but do not be fooled. What

lies behind closed doors is a whole different story. SeaWorldofHurt.com is a website ran by

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) that dedicates themselves to spread the

truths about this animal theme park to the human race. They want to spread awareness for the

many orcas and other marine mammals that are being kept in captivity for the sole purpose of

entertainment of by standards and being mistreated for that matter. These animals die sooner

in concrete tanks than they would in the ocean. In this essay, we will analyze and discuss the

different types of rhetorical strategies that this website uses to spread the word. This includes the

use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos

Ethos is connected to the word ethnics. This corresponds to how credible the

website actually is and how trustworthy the author and his or her articles are. This aspect shows

integrity and respect for the websites readers. Ethos can be shown by various ways. For example,

contact information. Usually, contact information, location, emails and numbers are located at

the very bottom of a homepage. SeaWorldofHurt.com does not lack this rhetorical appeal. The

website also needs to be active and up to date. If you were to go on a website that has not

uploaded new content in months, let alone years, the content founded on that website is most

likely irrelevant to the new information of the current year. As of right now, the last campaign

update of this website was September 19, 2017. This assures us that the information we are being
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given is fresh to what we want to know. Of course, the facts that we are given also have to be

correct. In order for a website to be credible, they cannot give their audience false information.

This has to do with the credibility of the author(s). Not only does the author have to be

trustworthy, but the site sponsor has to be trustworthy as well. SeaWorldofHurt.com is brought

to you by PETA and peta2. These two sponsors are very much credible.

Pathos

Pathos is a strategy that is used to touch your heart in any way. This means that the

author is intending to write their message with the purpose to appeal to your emotions. Whether

it is intended to make the reader upset, happy, or scared, their goal is to evoke that specific

emotion. SeaWorldofHurt.com uses pathos a lot throughout their website and published articles.

The name of the site itself is a form of pathos. One of the most common emotional responses that

is evoked is the feeling of empathy. One of the many ways this is done in this website is with

images. Some of the images that are shown includes but is not limited to, the many injuries that

orcas obtain from fighting with each other, strange behavior such as swimming in circles, and

sometimes how they remain motionless as if they have perished. These behaviors are due to

endless of hours that these creatures spend in these little compact tanks. When these images are

shown, the most common reaction is how can anybody allow these orcas to continue living this

way? and is there any way that can I help? That is the response that the author wants to bring

out of you. Another way that pathos is used in this website is by appealing to the audiences

values. What kind of person would you be if you continued to hand your money to a corporation

that puts their earnings before the needs and well-being of the marine mammals? By appealing to

the audiences values, it makes them think twice about the decisions that they make. One of the
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goals of this forum is to decrease the selling of the tickets for Sea World and eventually shut

down the theme park. By appealing to your emotions, this can absolutely be done.

Logos

When you hear the word logos, it is related to the word logic. This refers to how logic

the argument really is. Logos on a website can be shown in many ways. One of the ways that it

can be shown is by the layout and organization of each page, specifically the homepage. On

SeaWorldofHurt.com, you can find news, features, the about tab which consists of what the

website and organization is about, and their take action tab where you can take matters in to

your own hands and help yourself. It is fairly easy to navigate through the website itself also.

Thought-out their articles, the usage of facts, statics, examples, citations and quotes from

experts are highly used. One of the biggest factors that is used are statics. Many statics of the

many orcas that have perished under the watch of Sea World are displayed on the website;

Thirty-nine orcas to be exact. Last, but not least, logos can also be shown by evidence of sound

reasoning and consistency in the message. Throughout the website, consistency is key.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ethos, pathos and logos are crucial to any website. It is the key

components to success. In order for people to continue to come back to your website and want

to read the content, you need to appeal to their emotions, be credible and trustworthy, and

also be an easy to navigate site. SeaWorldofHurt.com is a very successful website/campaign

because every single rhetorical strategy is highly used. If they continue to run their website as

such, they are a shoo-in to reach their purpose and goal.