Rhetorical Analysis: American Sniper Essay

A selfless man, who believes strongly in god and protecting his country, makes the righteous decision to leave his family and fight in the heart of war. Chris Kyle, a true patriot, put his life in the hands of others countless times to protect the Americans’ right to freedom; even if it means not living another day again. In the memoir, American Sniper, Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL, writes about his brave and near-death experiences in war. The book explains Chris’s thoughts through every shot and life he took, through his faith and beliefs, that held true to his real character.

Chris Kyle’s main idea in his writing was to educate the American people on what all soldiers had to go through, not just physically, but emotionally. The ethos and pathos of the heroic soldier were presented throughout the book as he showed sympathy to some, however proved his reputation in battles. Time and time again, Chris Kyle would credit others for work and sacrifice in the battles. Never did he consider himself a hero; Kyle would simply put it as “doing his duty”. As stated on page 177, “I’m proud of my service, but I sure as hell didn’t do it for any medal.

They don’t make me any better or less than any other guy who served. Medals never tell the whole story. ” This quote supports Chris’s idea of an emotional challenge, by trying to stay focused. Chris’s morals and views never changed even after three silver stars, five bronze stars, and the most recorded kills in American sniper history. An additional example explaining the emotional phase of the war is on page 290, ” I think the whole idea of putting an Iraq face on the war is garbage if you want to win a war, you go in and win it.

Chris displayed his views on what was happening in the war. He believed all American soldiers should receive credit, given those men were doing the work. Chris said the morale of the men diminished when that idea was proposed. Chris always expressed his views throughout the memoir and never took all the attention, as well as explaining what could affect a man’s emotional state, to keep pushing in a life or death situation. Chris Kyle appealed to many readers by expressing his ethos. Ethos is argument by character; it explains personality, reputation, and ability to look trustworthy.

On page 38, it was stated that, “If that bell was a little closer I might have stood up and gone rung it… But I didn’t. ” The Navy SEAL showed ethos here by showing his stubborn personality to not stop, but as well as showing he is going to be a trustworthy solider and would not give up in a time of need or pain. Additionally, on page 316, “The fact is, I was just one guy, and they had singled me out for causing them a lot of damage.

They wanted me gone. I had to feel good about that. Even though the danger of death was elevated for the sniper, Chris Kyle proposed an argument on his reputation by feeling more honor about the bounty, than fear. Kyle found out his sister platoon’s sniper had a higher bounty which made Kyle fairly upset. The wanted man, worrying about his reputation more than safety, which expressed his ethos and care for his credibility. The other rhetorical appeal Chris showed was his pathos. Pathos can be described as argument by emotion or registering concern to the audience and changing the mood to fit his own side.

On page 98, Chris Kyle stated, “They wanted to kill us, even though we’d just booted out their dictator, because we practiced a different religion than they did. Isn’t religion supposed to teach tolerance? ” Chris used fear to gather the reader’s emotions and supported his argument by saying the Iraqis are using their religious to justify violence. This helps change the mood of the audience to support the military’s actions in the war (the U. S. helped the citizens of Iraq; the people should not be after the soldiers).

A second instance would be on page 276, “It wasn’t as dangerous as you might think to walk through insurgent held areas at night. ” The hero brought down the reader’s fear by saying it wasn’t “that dangerous”. Less people would sympathize for him, but others would view Kyle as a strong and courageous leader. This would help Chris control the audience’s thoughts and emotions, as he showed the readers multiple times in his own words, which could help gain support for the United States’ Military efforts.

Chris Kyle, a noble man that stayed religious through the horrors of war and put his country first. Fulfilling his duty to keep other Americans free for years to come, and he was never deterred in the eyes of death. Chris always gave recognition to others and kept his morals. The unforgettable soldier used rhetorical appeals throughout the book, mostly using ethos and pathos; which developed his character and inspired the reader’s emotions. Chris’s many years of service will not be forgotten as he saved lives of countless men and women. In eyes of all Americans, he died a hero.