Proof Appeals In English Political Debates:a Feminist Rhetorical Criticism Perspective

Based on the theory of Feminist Rhetorical Criticism, the present study adopts a quantitative and qualitative method, to compare the appeals both genders chose in providing proofs in five one-to-one English political debates, to reveal the gender images they expect to establish and the hidden power relations.By observing the types of appeals and their frequencies, we obtain the following results. For logos appeal, both genders prefer to use example and induction; males have a higher percentage in using induction and example while females have a higher percentage in using analogy. For ethos appeal, they prefer to use self-image appealing and other images degrading; males have a higher percentage in self-image appealing and other images degrading; females have a higher percentage in a third person appealing. As to pathos appeal, emotions used by both genders are gentleness, friendship, confidence and fear; males have a higher percentage in evoking friendship, confidence and fear; females have a higher percentage in evoking gentleness.Females keep their feminine traits with gentleness appeal, and thus establish a gendered image, which reveals their confidence in audience’s acceptance of a feminine leader. Males appeal to pathos such as friendship, confidence and gentleness to show their consideration for their families, to establish a feminine imase. The two images reflect the transformation of patriarchy and reveal an egalitarian power relation. However, the major strategy for males to evoke pathos is the description of fathers as breadwinners which establishes a manly image and reflects a patriarchal power relation. Both genders use logos appeal to show their rigorous logic and they use ethos appeal such as other images degrading and evoke aggressive fear in their audience, which establish females’de-gendered image and males’masculine image. The two images indicate that both genders establish a masculine leader image to meet the public’s patriarchal expectation. Despite the kind expectation for an egalitarian power relation, power relations in English political debates are still patriarchal, for patriarchal power relations are discovered in three images out of four.