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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Four Texts In Apollo 11

Decent Essays

The four texts that I have read seem to all use a variety of rhetorical appeals. After analyzing them, I noticed each had a speaker, an occasion, an audience, a purpose and a subject. Not only did they use “SOAPS” but they also used ethos, logos, and pathos to strengthen their speeches and to really connect with the audience. They proved that they’re credible, then they used sources and quotations and eventually they hit the audience with emotions. In the first text, “Man Takes First Steps on the Moon” the speaker is the Times of London in third person point of view. The occasion is the take-off of Apollo 11 and successfully landing onto the moon. Especially Neil Armstrong being the first man to take a walk on the moon's surface. The …show more content…

They shared their joy and excitement of hearing the news that everything was a success. The author used President Nixon's reaction as well to connect, which was “one of the greatest moments of our time.” In the second text, “In Event of Moon Disaster” by William Safire, he also appealed to SOAPS and ethos logos and pathos. Although William might have written the speech, President Nixon was going to be the one to have read it aloud if all went downhill, so the speaker is Nixon. The occasion is the “funeral speech” he would have given if the mission was not successful. The audiences were all the Americans and loved ones of the astronauts on the mission, basically the entire world that was watching and waiting for the results of Apollo 11. The purpose of this speech was to address not only the families of the deceased loved ones but also the entire nation as well. It was to be used as a precaution just in case the first ever moon landing failed. The subject would be the worst case scenario of the moon landing. Nixon’s speech appealed to ethos because he is the president. By him having that title, it makes him a credible source because he's the one who must help guide the American people in the face of such tragedy. The speech appealed to logos by implying there was no chance of the astronauts making it back. Pathos was established because it was overall a very delicate subject. Safire used emotional connections with the audience by

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