In his speech "A Talk to Teachers," what relationship does James Baldwin establish with his audience in the opening two paragraphs? How does he...

In the first two paragraphs of his speech “A Talk to
Teachers,” James Baldwin establishes his relationship with his audience – and also his
own “ethos” (or character) – in a number of different ways, including the
following:

• The very first word – “Let’s,” rather
  than “Let us” – immediately suggests a tone of informality. Baldwin instantly implies
  that he is not pretentious.


• The sixth word of the speech
  – “we” – implies that Baldwin identifies with his audience.  He makes common cause with
  them; he doesn’t speak down to them.


• By ending the first
  sentence by asserting that he and his audience are living in a “very dangerous time,”
  Baldwin implies that he is a serious person who wants to speak frankly and forthrightly
  to his audience.


• The second sentence of the speech is as
  follows:

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Everyone in this room is in one way or another
aware of that.

This sentence
gives the audience credit for being intelligent, well informed, and concerned (just like
Baldwin himself).

• In the following sentence,
  Baldwin shows that he is willing to be honest even if honesty is not a popular trait at
  the moment:

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We are in a revolutionary situation, no matter
how unpopular that word has become in this
country.

• By
  telling his audience that if they try to change society,
  they

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will meet the most fantastic, the most brutal,
and the most determined
resistance,

Baldwin implies
that he is courageous (since he is trying to inspire such change) and that his audience
can also be courageous (if they are willing to heed his inspiring
call).

• The opening sentence of the second
  paragraph shows Baldwin’s modesty as well as his respect for his audience. He is
  deferential and politely asks the audience to allow him to proceed without possessing
  absolute expertise as a classroom teacher.


• By beginning
  the next sentence with the words “It would seem to me,” Baldwin implies that he is
  tentative and non-dogmatic; he is willing to change his mind if someone can convince him
  that he is wrong. “It seems to me” would have been a more forceful way of beginning this
  sentence; “I think” would have been even more forceful. Baldwin, however, wants to
  present himself as a thoughtful person with an open
  mind.


• At the same time, Baldwin shows that he is a man of
  convictions who relies on certain basic assumptions – assumptions with which few would
  disagree, as when he briefly declares: “Man is a social
  animal.”

In short, throughout these opening
paragraphs, Baldwin demonstrates his skills as a rhetorician, partly by presenting an
appealing image of his own character.