John F Kennedy Inaugural Address Analysis

“Ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country” (464). Although the historical setting has changed, the relevance of what is considered one of the most iconic lines in John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, can be applied throughout history and future generations to come. At a time where Americans faced the threats of the Cold War, the horrors of the Vietnam War, and the aftermath of World War II, the significance of implanting a sense of proud patriotism into the lives of the American people had reached an all-time high. In his Inaugural Address John F. Kennedy conveys, through his use of imagery of good and evil, allegory of freedom, and historical setting, a message of unity, duty and hope into the lives of the American people. On January 20th of the year 1961, John F. Kennedy addressed the nation with his Inaugural Address speech that focused on the never ending battle between good and evil. Kennedy, who himself was a PT boat commander in the south pacific during WWII, goes into detail on how …show more content…
Kennedy unites the citizens of the United States by reminding them of how almost all the past presidents have been sworn into office, and made the same oath the “forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago” in the nation’s capital (462). JFK uses the capital’s persona of power to his advantage to promote the feeling of hope and civil duty to the nation in preparation for the new struggles that are to be faced. The current Cold War played a major part in Kennedy’s speech, specifically when he refers to men holding “the power to abolish…. all forms of human life”, because of its ability to amplify the message of unity, hope and duty that JFK was trying to portray