Andrew Solomon inspires his viewers when he shows them that their hardships are all worth the struggle. He uses his personal experiences so that the viewers can connect with him during his speech. Solomon is aware that everybody experiences personal hardships which often cannot be avoided, and this knowledge makes his talk very effective. He proves to his audience that the most beautiful flowers bloom out of adversity. This speech very heavily relies on pathos, and includes logos as well. His stories about always being left out just because of who he was evokes emotions in others and builds his credibility, as he is speaking from experience.. Solomon also makes use of repetition by repeating the same phrase throughout his speech, “forging meaning.” By doing this, it further instills his points in the audience's minds. He says, “Forging meaning is about changing yourself. Building identity is about changing the world.” (4:51) This encourages people to make something of themselves despite the challenges, because those are what make you who you are.
Solomon touches on the topic of inequality in his talk. He provides facts about how people can be oppressed in many countries, including America, just for being gay or different. Solomon claims that this oppression has molded people to where they are in life currently, despite how unfair it may be. He wants change for the future generations so they will not have to face inequality like he has, and he is proud to see that America is taking steps to be more accepting of each individual. “I am lucky to have forged meaning and built identity, but that's still a rare privilege. And gay people deserve more, collectively, than the crumbs of justice.” (14:33) Although he knows that these hardships brought him to where he is today, he believes that everybody should be provided with equality. I enjoyed this TED talk because Solomon effectively uses pathos to make his speech very touching. It helps people to understand why equality is so important and helps people come to peace with the difficult times they have endured. It was a beautifully worded and encouraging talk about how adversity can be a good thing. It gives us the opportunity to become stronger, happier, and more intelligent. |