Rhetorical Analysis Of Roosevelt's Infamy Speech

War is the worst option but is necessary on certain occasions. On December 8th, 1941, Franklin D Roosevelt delivered the Infamy Speech, which became one of the most important speeches in history. This speech declared war on Japan, entering the United States into World War 2. The deliverance of this speech was so powerful because Roosevelt used rhetorical devices such as pathos, repetition and parallelism, and hyperboles to appeal to the audiences’ emotions and beliefs on the war, making the statement hard to disagree with.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected as the 32nd president of the United States in 1932, the third year of the worst economic depression in America's history. At the height of The Great Depression about 25% of America's workforce was unemployed, and the country was crying out for change. This is what he promised in the inaugural address he gave on March 3, 1933: change. He gave his speech to show the hearts and minds of the people of the USA that they will come back from this great hardship. Franklin Delano Roosevelt used a powerful yet sympathetic tone of voice, dramatic pauses for emphasis, and plan to change how the country operated, in his Inaugural Address to reassure the nation that they will come back from the Great Depression.

Because of President McKinley’s death, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was put into office. Then, on March 4, 1905, Roosevelt delivered his Inaugural Address to disclose his ideas and goals to the American people as their leader. The audience of this speech were Roosevelt’s fellow citizens. He told the people to treat other countries with compassion and friendship because they became such a great nation. With his use of repetition, allusions, and his tone, Roosevelt was able to emphasize his point in making the country a powerful nation to bring tranquility throughout the world.

Lincoln used Ethos a great number of times in his address to the people of America. One example that stood out about Ethos is when he said, “The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all.” In this quote, Lincoln assured his audience that he is sure about what will happen in the future and he wants them to know that fact. He also wants his audience to know what he thinks will happen in the future of the country. This relates to Ethos, or ethics, because it shows

When giving a speech a speaker must be able to connect with his audience, the speaker wants his/her speech to be easy to follow and easy to understand. It is for those specific reasons that speakers purposely put in lots of logos, pathos, and ethos into their speeches so that the audiences can connect emotionally, ethically, and intellectually with what they are talking about. A particular speech that uses many examples of pathos, logos, and ethos is The Great Arsenal of Democracy given by President Roosevelt on December 29, 1940. Throughout the speech President Roosevelt uses excessive amounts of pathos to connect with his people emotionally. He

Ronald Reagan, the former 40th president of the United States died on June 5th of 2004. A couple of days later on the 11th, Margaret Thatcher the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, wrote an eulogy for Ronald Reagan. In this eulogy, Thatcher uses rhetorical strategies to convince her readers into believing what she states. She uses the strategies of parallelism, pathos and diction to get her message out and to help her reader receive it. And thus Thatcher can convince her readers into believing what she says.

readers to be also engaged. His tone played a role to plant a sense of alert regarding

“A date which will live in infamy” is a phrase most associated with this day. An unprovoked attack aimed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 left the nation vulnerable to various outside powers. Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew the vital importance of creating and leading a crusade, so his purpose in addressing the nation was to declare war against Japan and rally the support of the citizens of America. Until the devastating bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan had been considered an ally. Roosevelt’s speech was about bringing justice to the nation and being honest with the people about the terrible events that had just occurred. Roosevelt, serving as the thirty-second president of the United States, was in his second term when the attack happened.

“December 7th 1941- A date that will live in infamy.” This opening statement is the first powerful line said by President Roosevelt to the American people after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This greatness of this opening line will be forever be ingrained in the minds of every American citizen, especially the people who lived during the most significant war of the 20th century. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is an event that can never be forgotten, and President Roosevelt’s speech in response to this appalling attack is just as significant. The objective of this speech was to urge Congress to declare war on Japan. Roosevelt’s speech after Pearl Harbor is one of the more recognizable and important speeches in all of American history. His speech incorporates bountiful instances of rhetorical devices, such as logos, pathos, and ethos. By analyzing these rhetorical devices, one is able to see Roosevelt’s vigorous use of emotion, his strength in addressing his character and reputation rather than focusing too heavily upon appeals to logic and reason, ultimately to get the result he wants from his audience. The profound power of this speech resonates with all who read and hear it.

In 1933 history was changed for the better. Nineteen thirty three was an era where people were left devastated by the lost of many essentials that people today would take for granted. Eighty four years ago in Washington D.C the 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, gave his first inauguration speech before later serving four additional years to his country. Many of people were awaiting to hear his words spoken loud and clear stating that change was imminent with the assistance of hard work and dedication. The president’s aspiration was clearly presented as he was there to help improve their situation with plans to make things better. The purpose of president Hoover’s speech was to appeal to many through the use of pathos and ethos accompanied by his use of well known rhetoric devices such as amplification.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941- a date which will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan” (1). These are the words Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose to begin his Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. FDR’s speech was a call to arms, and in his speech he expressed outrage towards Japan and confidence in inevitable triumph. The speech was a request to declare war against Japan and to bring the United States into World War II. FDR’s speech was successful in bringing the United States into World War II because FDR presented facts explaining why war needed to be declared and used righteous indignation

On December 8, 1941, 32nd US president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, delivered what is considered to be of the most impactful speeches of all time to Congress. In his speech, Roosevelt declared that December 7, 1941 would be “a date which will live in infamy”, due to the deliberate Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to hinder the Pacific Fleet’s defense against Japanese forces, that caused America to enter into WWII. Roosevelt relies immensely on the usage of Pathos, Ethos, Logos, and Kairos throughout his famous “Infamy Speech” to help persuade U.S. congressmen to declare war on Japan, and help convince and unite America to support its Allies in the war effort in defeating the Axis Powers (“Pearl Harbor, History.com”). Through the heavy use of these rhetorical devices, President Roosevelt successfully conveys why America should join in his efforts to go to war.

Pathos consists in arousing the emotions of the listeners and directing those emotions in an action that should be taken. In order to use pathos in my speech, I could reference personal experiences. For example if I were having a conversation with someone who just lost a family member, I could make a connection with them by telling them about a similar loss in my

By listing each individual attack, Roosevelt depicted the Japanese people as villains and monsters to assist in the unification of all American citizens, for his vilification united the U.S. population under one common enemy: Japan. Additionally, the president displayed numerous tones throughout his speech; his first line provided his audience with a solemn and grave attitude that they were expecting with the word “infamy”. Furthermore, as he progresses with the speech, he acknowledged the countless American lives lost, thus provoking the vindictive nature within all humans. However, the public at this time were in fear and shock of the recent attack. Roosevelt alleviated their sense of panic and defeat by reassuring that justice will be sought and the nation will recover from the tragic devastation with a strength in their impending war with the Japanese--he gave them optimism and hope of a new future in spite of the recent occurrences

The fact that JFK just won the presidential election illustrates that this speech is a product of pathos, he won America over because they trust him. Pathos is a strong element of a writing piece because once the reader trusts the writer or speaker they are willing to listen to anything they have to offer.