Freedom for All On June 12th, 1987 United States President Ronald Reagan gave his famous “Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate” speech at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin. At this time, the United States and the USSR were embroiled in a global power struggle, which resulted in a great deal of tension between democratic and communist countries. Many people at the time sought reunification of West Berlin and East Berlin, and an end to the Cold War. In “Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate,” former president Ronald Reagan uses logos appeals, pathos appeals, and parallel structure in an effort to initiate the demolition of the Berlin Wall, and usher in freedom to communist countries. Ronald Reagan utilizes logos appeals in his speech in order to advocate
…show more content…
One example of this can be seen when the Reagan states that “as long as this scar of a wall is permitted to stand… it is a question of freedom for all mankind” (Reagan). Reagan’s metaphorical comparison between the wall and a scar emphasizes the ugliness of the wall and how out of place it is. By making this comparison and naming the wall as “a question of freedom,” the author depicts the wall as a symbol of anti-freedom and communism. In doing this, the author furthers his purpose of demolishing the Berlin Wall by evoking strong feelings of freedom. Another example can be seen when the author states how “four decades ago there was rubble, [but] today in West Berlin there is the greatest industrial output of any city in Germany” (Reagan). This statement produces a strong feeling of pride from the mostly German audience that is attending the speech. The way the author describes the transformation of West Berlin from “rubble” to the greatest industrial city in Germany invokes a strong sense of patriotism in the speaker’s audience. This promotes the anti-communist and pro-freedom feelings the author is trying to generate in his audience. A third example of pathos appeal used by Reagan is in his claim that he “[understands] the fear of war and the pain of division that afflict this continent …” and that he “[pledges] to [the audience] [his] efforts to help overcome …show more content…
While Reagan’s speech was effective, the demolition of the Berlin Wall didn’t commence for roughly two years. Only on November 9th in 1989 did East Germany began the deconstruction of the wall and allow citizens free passage to West Germany. Ronald Reagan’s non-stop push for freedom was responsible for these events, and helped end the USSR’s oppressive rule of other nations. This in turn led to the USSR’s eventual demise, ushering in a new era of strong and independent
One example of this can be seen when the Reagan states that “as long as this scar of a wall is permitted to stand… it is a question of freedom for all mankind” (Reagan). Reagan’s metaphorical comparison between the wall and a scar emphasizes the ugliness of the wall and how out of place it is. By making this comparison and naming the wall as “a question of freedom,” the author depicts the wall as a symbol of anti-freedom and communism. In doing this, the author furthers his purpose of demolishing the Berlin Wall by evoking strong feelings of freedom. Another example can be seen when the author states how “four decades ago there was rubble, [but] today in West Berlin there is the greatest industrial output of any city in Germany” (Reagan). This statement produces a strong feeling of pride from the mostly German audience that is attending the speech. The way the author describes the transformation of West Berlin from “rubble” to the greatest industrial city in Germany invokes a strong sense of patriotism in the speaker’s audience. This promotes the anti-communist and pro-freedom feelings the author is trying to generate in his audience. A third example of pathos appeal used by Reagan is in his claim that he “[understands] the fear of war and the pain of division that afflict this continent …” and that he “[pledges] to [the audience] [his] efforts to help overcome …show more content…
While Reagan’s speech was effective, the demolition of the Berlin Wall didn’t commence for roughly two years. Only on November 9th in 1989 did East Germany began the deconstruction of the wall and allow citizens free passage to West Germany. Ronald Reagan’s non-stop push for freedom was responsible for these events, and helped end the USSR’s oppressive rule of other nations. This in turn led to the USSR’s eventual demise, ushering in a new era of strong and independent