KAFA Argument Essay

After making the move from North Liberty, Iowa, to Henderson, Nevada, my then family of four stayed in a small apartment on Green Valley Parkway. We were desperately searching for a house; moreover, we were desperately trying to get out of the apartment. Although I remember little from that time, one memory in particular remains. My family was eating dinner and began hearing a series of loud noises from our next door neighbors. We knew little about them, and became quickly worried at this eruption of what sounded like screaming and domestic abuse. My parents called the police- we did not know what else to do. As expected, it was a case of domestic abuse. This scenario contributed to my lifelong fear of abuse, rape, and basically submission to any man. Many of my friends have admitted to feeling this way, too. One can easily extrapolate that many women across the globe share this sense of fear. The advertisement on the left further supports this generalization. In analyzing the image, it is clear that the usage of visual effect, symbolism, and Aristotle’s Three Modes of Persuasion successfully attract the audience to object domestic abuse- two prominent problems of society. The targeted audience is women in Lebanon who encounter abuse on a regular basis. The visual design indicates this is female, maybe of a Middle Eastern ethnicity, because of her tan complexion, plump lips, and brunette hair. Though the advertisement is targeted specifically at Middle Eastern women, it is applicable to all female victims. From a global standpoint, this strengthens the advertisement in that the message is universal. Moreover, the woman’s face is the central focus of the picture. The intentional placement immediately grasps the audience’s attention. In summary, the gloomy backdrop offers a serious ambiance, and the absence of vibrant patterns screams, “Abuse is important, and deserves attention.” As for the text, there are few words seen throughout the image. The most noticeable word is “whore”, which is located in the bottom left corner, and is paired with a soundwave of the term. The soundwave is repeated as a scar near the woman’s swollen right eye. This piece of the picture signifies various ideas: first, the soundwave suggests that the woman has been called a whore, presumably by the perpetrator of the abuse. Next, her swollen eye proves that there is a connection between physical abuse and the degradation of women. Similarly, the clenching of her neck indicates feelings of discomfort, and ashamedness. Conclude? There is also much symbolism in the advertisement. The woman herself symbolizes a submissive, emotional, and pathetic character. She is seemingly bare- her makeup is natural, and she does not appear to be wearing any clothes. This hints that the woman is vulnerable and anonymous- inferring that abuse can happen to any woman. The fact that her lips are slightly ajar yet again hints at …show more content…
The image does not show anyone except for the woman; however, the bottom left corner shows a label for KAFA, the organization that has developed the advertisement. KAFA describes itself as a “feminist, secular, Lebanese, non-profit, non-governmental civil society organization seeking to create a society that is free of social, economic and legal patriarchal structures that discriminate against women” (KAFA). In the most basic of words, this statement uncovers KAFA’s fight for Lebanese women who struggle against the male gender. This identifies with the audience’s belief that women do not deserve to be abused. At the same time, KAFA develops ethos in the audience by not claiming that all men are bad. Instead, the statement clarifies that KAFA is working against discriminative men who exploit women (KAFA). This eliminates defensiveness in the audience and pushes them to believe that they can trust KAFA. The targeted audience is also impressed in knowing the history of the organization, which has been active since 2005 (KAFA). Aside from their verbal and domestic abuse help, they offer help lines and psychological services (KAFA). This reveals the dedication and compassion of KAFA, and shows that they have experience in their profession of helping Lebanese women. The appeal greatly strengthens the audience’s trust in this advertisement, and increases the likeliness that abused women will turn to KAFA when they encounter another abuse