When I first looked at this image, I was a little shocked that this was an issue. It did not seem like something that you would need to make an argument for because the act of giving your seat to someone who is pregnant seems like the simplest act of humanity/human compassion/kindness/sensitivity/empathy/or decency you could possibly preform. However, I suppose it can't be all that simple if there is a movement dedicated to giving a pregnant woman a seat on the subway. The image invites more consideration of how to be generous as well as some annoyance at the young man who is oblivious of the tired mother-to-be without a seat. The image is meant to first call awareness to an issue of a lack of common courtesy, then persuade the audience to act. The image is meant to allow the audience to make their own conclusion of who should take the seat. This conclusion was prompted by the way the image was presented and the viewers perception of the characters.

 The subject of the image is a mother who is with child, who is being forced to stand on a subway while a seemingly healthy man is reserving his seat. The largest force of persuasion in the image is it's appeal to the viewer's pathos. By allowing us to sympathize with the soon-to-be-mother and her child, the creators are appealing to that sense of pathos. If you look at the faces of the individuals in the image, you are able to see the differences in their expressions and their emotions. You see that the pregnant woman is not smiling. She is standing straight while she is holding the baby in her womb, which is massive in relation to the rest of he body. We can see that the weight must be taxing and cannot help but sympathize with her as she stares longingly at the occupied chair. However, the man seems to be perfectly content in his seat, eyes closes as he relaxes and jams to the music in his headphones.

 Through the image, the viewers are able to see inside the woman and the man and what they hold inside their persons: the unborn child in the woman's womb, and the mug of beer in the man's stomach. The audience is prompted to compare what the two individuals in the frame hold in their person and to judge which is more important. Between the alcoholic beverage and a human child, most would empathize with the child right off the bat and see it as more important. It is not an inanimate object and is more relatable, therefore, it holds the audiences sympathies.The image was made more personal by showing only the mother and the man, the one seat and the cargo they posses(the child and beer). It highlights that there is only one seat, putting the pressure on the man lounging in that seat.

 In the statement at the top of the image, "Give up your seat to someone carrying something more important", the creators are referring to the comparison of the child and the man's last alcoholic drink. Then, the statement at the bottom of the page, "Stand Up For The Pregnant", expresses exactly what the movement is about and what the right thing to do would be. It gives a line of action to follow after you have made your judgement of which cargo is more important; the beer or the child?


In order to appeal to the audience's sense of ethos, the creators provided below the statement "Stand Up For The Pregnant", the assertion that they have been "Supporting pregnant women for over 20 years." This is put there in order to show the audience that they are a creditable source and can be relied on.