Abstract
This paper is a rhetorical criticism of Malala Yousafzai’s 2013 address to the United Nations Youth Assembly using Kenneth Burke’s pentad. Malala Yousafzai’s address was delivered less than one year after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban. The address reframes access to education as a shared moral responsibility rather than a personal or political issue. By analyzing the scene, act, agent, agency, and purpose, this analysis shows how Malala constructs rhetorical authority through personal narrative, forgiveness, and moral appeal. Her speech positions education as a universal human right and challenges global audiences to move from sympathy to accountability.
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Diana Isabel Martínez
Recommended Citation
Rehm, Alexis
(2026)
"A Pentadic Rhetorical Analysis of Malala Yousafzai’s Address to the United Nations’ Youth Assembly,"
Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research: Vol. 14, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/pjcr/vol14/iss1/1
