Pearl Harbor Speech Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire raided the entire pacific region, but the most critical attack was of Oahu Island’s Pearl Harbor. On the morning of this day, the surprise attack caused significant casualties and loses to the US Pacific Fleet. President FDR immediately addressed the profound eight-minute-speech on the second day toward the Congress, the citizens, and the world, asking a formal declaration of war, restating the strength and glory of the United States, and rallying the nation to war. Throughout his speech, president FDR heavily used emotional and authoritative rhetoric to give a decisive speech that elicit the confidence and patriotism of the public. The speech had a tone of resolute, confidence, bravery, and encouraging …show more content…
At the time he delivered the speech, he had already served for the forth time as president. Due to this fact, it is very reasonable that people put faith on him and completely trusted Roosevelt’s capability of handling essential crisis. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be elected four times as the chief commander of the country. As a result, while other speakers require need to use logos, statistics, and facts as support, Roosevelt’s speech became authoritative persuasive just because of his title, which the people had already viewed him as a credible …show more content…
Roosevelt was an excellent and successful politician and speaker. This speech, “For a Declaration of War”, is an encouraging and affecting call of war towards the Congress and the American public. It is very certain that the speech is extremely effective. Not only the major goal of convincing the Congress to declare war was perfectly accomplished, and moreover, the president rallied and mobilized the entire nation into the support of war effort. This day, December 8th, 1941, with his historically speech, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had ignited the country’s patriotism and glory that the Americans had held in a way that had never been seen

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