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Marielle Diaz

Mr. Hurt

English 10H-P6

28 April 2019

The Pursuit of Girls’ Education

Former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, addresses in her speech, “Let

Girls Learn,” about the significance of investing in resources for school, and challenging cultural

practices that restrain girls from learning. Obama’s purpose is to make it an obligation for

countries to be aware of the power of supporting young girls’ future through education. She

establishes an optimistic tone in order to appeal to the motivated and empowered emotions in her

audience of American journalists.

Obama begins her speech by emphasizing the problem of insufficient investing in girls’

education, as well as the cultural practices that are harmful to young girls. She triggers appalled

and frustrated emotions of the audience by exemplifying the practices that degrade women “from

female genital mutilation and cutting, to forced child marriage, to laws that allow marital rape”

(​The Atlantic​, 2015). She suggests that poor and horrible conditions in girls’ lives affects their

education, and therefore countries must prohibit these types of unacceptable practices. Obama

argues that investing in girls’ education by providing “scholarships, bathrooms, and safe

transportation” would help in order to prevent life struggles “that will keep girls out of school”

(​The Atlantic​, 2015). The utilization of emotional appeal from Obama conveys a forthright and

sympathetic tone from which the audience of journalists can understand the lives of girls at

school and at home.

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Obama shifts her speech by discussing the cultural shifts that have challenged countries

to make progress for women, starting with investment in their education. She appeals to the

gratifying emotions of her audience by indicating how women in the U.S. “stood up to change

these practices” by “taking their bosses to court, fighting to prosecute their rapists, and leaving

their abusive husbands” (​The Atlantic,​ 2015). Obama appeals to the empathy of her American

audience by comparing their country’s gender inequality from the past, to the unjust laws and

practices girls face today. She exemplifies that when girls are educated they “marry later,

become financially secure, and earn high salaries” in order to provide positive results of cultural

shifts (​The Atlantic​, 2015). This comparison and use of exemplification from Obama conveys an

empowering, but unsatisfied tone in which the audience must understand the power they have to

support girls’ education.

Obama closes her speech by emphasizing that girls are hopeful for the possibility of a

better education, but people all around the globe must support them and a promising future.

Obama employs an optimistic tone by reflecting on her travels, and meeting girls that “study for

hours each night, holding tight to their hopes for the future, even in the face of heartbreaking

odds” (​The Atlantic​, 2015). She creates hopeful emotions of the audience by shaping their

perspective of girls’ ambitions, despite these young girls living under poor conditions with

inadequate resources. Obama utilizes anaphora towards the end of her speech by claiming, “I

plan to raise my voice..I plan to keep reaching out...I plan to talk about this issue at home...,” in

order to establish a responsibility that indirectly addresses the countries that must do the same for

young girls (​The Atlantic,​ 2015). Obama’s persistence and dedication conveys an optimistic tone
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that makes the audience of journalists feel motivated to support her goal in changing education

for girls.

Obama’s deliverance of her “Let Girls Learn” speech addresses a global issue that urges

countries to invest in resources, and stop cultural practices that hinder girls’ education. Through

her optimistic and motivational speech, Obama hopes to spread awareness of the education girls

receive, and what the world can do to make it better.