Use of Ethos in Imagine

John Lennon gained credibility as a part of the Beatles in the 1960s. Because of this, Lennon's fans were going to listen to any music he put out whether it was good or not. His loyal following learned to trust him and his messages through his time with the Beatles. When he left the band in the late 60s, he began to make music with messages that he personally believed more than the music he had made with the Beatles and capitalized off of his loyal following. When he released Imagine, people around the world took in his message because he was somebody they already looked up to.

Kairos and Rhetorical Situation

The hippie subculture emerged in the 1960s and embraced peace and artistic expression.  Protest against the Vietnam War was increasing drastically with the growing hippie population. The majority of the hippie subculture consisted of young individuals and many older Americans did not take their views seriously.  In this picture, the photographer captures the expressions of individuals who attended one of the many Anti-War protests during the 1960s.  The photograph features both men and women advocating for peace with the use of protest signs and by burning draft cards.  You can tell by their expressions in the photograph that these individuals believed in something more and that war was not the answer.  Not only does the photograph send an unsatisfactory message to the government about war, but it projects the message to other American men that the draft is an unfair process.  The burning of the draft cards were a significant aspect of the photograph.  This photograph was most likely printed in newspapers, making the draft burning a public violation of the law and an outcry for change to the United States government.  The photographer demonstrated major aspects of the hippie movement and their importance in this single photograph. 

Rhetorical Situation of "Imagine"

The Hippie Movement is known mainly for radical groups and musical figures throughout the 1960's that had the goal peace, harmony, and artistic experimentation. John Lennon was one of the most well known figures/musicians of the movement for his views of a peaceful, utopian world that he hoped our World could eventually be. The album "Imagine" was written by John Lennon in 1971 and was part of his second solo album after separating from The Beatles. The song the album named after, Imagine, is the most iconic of Lennon's songs because of its timeless significance in all different types of social movements. The song was written and composed along with Yoko Ono, John's wife, and Phil Spector, a well known producer. Lennon was known to be against the war in Vietnam so when the song was released it was immediately seen as Anti-war propaganda. Lennon purposefully added in certain elements into the song like using strings to create a sense of beauty and simplicity. The song was written while John was living in England and finished in New York. A month after its release it reached number three on Billboard's Top 100, which reflects the popularity of the song among the growing counterculture during that time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVg2EJvvlF8

Major Rhetorical Argument

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVg2EJvvlF8

This song, released in 1971 by John Lennon, is one of the many anti-war songs that was released during this time period. The lyrics, which send messages of peace and love, inspire the listener to imagine a world where these messages are a reality. The hippie movement, which went by these messages, was created as a result of the american war in Vietnam, which many deemed unnecessary. Lennon's lyrics, backed by very simple music, create the image of a simple world where everything is peaceful. Many hippies believes this world to be very possible if people stopped fighting over petty things such as money, land, or religion. The first lyrics of the song, "Imagine there's no heaven, its easy if you try, no hell below us, above us only sky", simplify the concept of religion to a point where people have nothing to argue about. Lennon's use of the word "imagine" sends the message that, whether the things were fighting over are important or not, everyone should imagine that they're not and move forward in a world of peace. Of course, Lennon believes that they are not important, but his point is that people should focus on loving each other instead of fighting of things that they don't have an answer to.

Major Rhetorical Argument (photo)

The photo on the right sidebar depicts one of the many Anti-Vietnam War protests that took place throughout the 1960's. While there were a plethora of reasons why the war was deemed unnecessary and unlawful, people were especially upset over the draft. The majority of the young men conscripted were high school drop-outs or African Americans.

Many saw this as discriminatory since the rich often found a way to avoid draft, either by staying in university for as long as possible or joining the National Guard.








In the photo, the man on the left is burning his draft card and displaying it for everyone to see. This is an act of defiance since it was illegal to knowingly destroy a draft card. The man risked arrest and punishment by acting on his right to free speech and expressing his opposition to the draft and war. While some men who burned their draft cards did face repercussions, the majority did not. This method of protest was effective because after Nixon took office, he ended the draft in 1973. In addition to the burning draft card, the poster in the back, "Make Love Not War," embodies the Hippie Movement. Hippies favored "peace, love, and personal liberties," so the Vietnam War was against everything they believed in. The war caused great disdain towards the U.S. government and soldiers returning from Vietnam.