Rhetorical devices

Rhetorical questions and direct address

In the TED Talk “The Issues of Youth Censorship”, Olivia Orlewicz uses rhetorical questions to engage the listeners and make them reflect on the topic of censorship. For example, Orlewicz issues a series of rhetorical questions towards the end of her talk:

How far are we willing to go to keep a voice silent so that we don’t have to feel uncomfortable or challenged? Are we really better off just sticking our heads in the sand and ignore… and pretending that other views don’t exist? I want everyone to ask yourselves how far are you willing to go? So where does it stop? Why are we afraid to ask questions? Why are we so afraid to discuss things that are controversial?

These questions prompt the audience to think critically about the issues being discussed. In this se...