A Whisper of Aids Speech by Mary Fisher
In 1992, the AIDS epidemic was still swept under the rug and was not often talked about. On August 19th, the same year in Houston, Texas, Mary Fisher delivered a revolutionary speech that informed the audience about the disease. To do this, Fisher used figurative language like personification and repetition to help listeners understand the virus and to remember important things about the virus. It was a very well thought out speech that was very powerful and delivered a very important message. Mary Fisher’s goal was to bring awareness to the epidemic and she definitely did that and more.
Mary Fisher uses personification to portray how murderous AIDS can be. The epidemic is not easy to comprehend to most people because it is so violent and tragic. Mary knows this and tries to put her message in a way that can be retainable but is also very impactful. Making the disease come to life in listeners’ brains by using personification and imagery helps people learn and become aware of HIV and AIDS which is what she was hoping for.
In addition, Fisher uses repetition in her speech as well. She uses this to help people learn and to get her message across. An example of this is when Fisher says, “Because I was not hemophilic, I was not at risk. Because I was not gay, I was not at risk. Because I did not inject drugs, I was not at risk”(9). Using repetition teaches the audience that anyone can be at risk including people that you wouldn’t expect to be infected.
In sum, Mary Fisher delivered a brilliant speech. It is very important that she informs this specific audience at this specific time. Fisher bringing light to the subject in a dynamic way exceeds the expectations of the audience. The way that the speech is organized is very effective. She informs the audience of her purpose right away. This speech is important to me because I think that it is very powerful speech.
Works Cited
Fisher, Mary. “1992 Republican National Convention Address.” Speech. Houston, Texas. 19 Aug. 1992. American Rhetoric Web. 10 Nov. 2018.