Ethos Pathos And Logos In Jfk Inaugural Address

Subsequently, Kennedy then addressed his listeners outside of America, making promises and pledges of his best effort and giving logical advice to other nations in order to establish his reputation as an international leader while influencing change in other countries. With such a goal, he combined both ethos and logos appeals to encourage his worldwide listeners to cooperate for the right cause. Kennedy first promises that “[t]o those allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends” (1). With alliances being an ever-important part of international diplomacy, Kennedy increased his credibility towards other nations by acknowledging them and giving them his promise. Because of their continued friendship …show more content…
First, he reminded America the pressure that is on them, saying that “[s]ince this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe” (Kennedy 2). Drawing an emotional response through mentioning of America’s troops who died for freedom, Kennedy almost put a sort of guilt on his audience to continue the task of protecting their nation. Ultimately, Kennedy skillfully pressured the new generation towards fighting for the good of America through generating feelings of guilt and responsibility from his audience. Moreover, Kennedy continued to aim for the audience’s emotions when he tells the nation to “go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own” (Kennedy 3). This time, he connected with the everyday citizens with Christian faith, and relates to their common beliefs in God to persuade his audience. By asking for God’s help in his task of working for American freedom, Kennedy created an appeal to the audience’s religion and common experiences, and gained the support of his listeners who also have a deep and emotional faith in God. Kennedy finished by giving the new American generation his word of confidence, and he stated that he does not “believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation” (3). Once again with the purpose of captivating the audience’s emotions, Kennedy created feelings of honor and self-worth in his American audience to give them the sense that with hard work, they could reach their goal. By putting his trust in this generation, Kennedy persuaded America to