Rhetorical Analysis Of Jfk Inaugural Address

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Ask Not... Every president-elect has the job of giving an inaugural address. These addresses are meant to unite the nation behind our new president, and give a little insight into how he will run the White House. JFK’s inaugural address on January 21, 1960, set the stage for one of the greatest presidencies this country has ever known.. His address is extremely charismatic and brings together the people of this country through several ways of persuasion. He uses narration, comparison, description, classification, and cause and effect to bring together the people of the nation. He also describes the state of the nation and countries around the world in an attempt to extend an olive branch of peace. The year is 1960. The Soviet Union is spreading …show more content…
This shows in several of the paragraphs describing the state of the nation. His appeals to pathos are shown when he talks of the American people, and of his feelings for countries abroad. Logos is shown when talking about the use of nuclear weapons in his day. His audience is the American people and anyone interested in the new president of the US around the world. This is because the first place of publication was at the inaugural address in D.C.. His tone is hopeful towards the American people, and the prospect of a peaceful future can be heard. JFK assumes his audience keeps up with the current events, and back during the late 50s/early 60s, they kept up a lot more than people do …show more content…
This comes at a time when the Cold War is raging between the U.S. and the Soviets. A new president has just been elected, and the Soviets are fighting satellite wars throughout Asia in an attempt to spread Communism. In addition to this, there is an arms race between the two. Thermonuclear destruction isn’t something most people find appealing, so Kennedy definitely appealed to the people by showing his plan of peace, rather than trying to escalate things further between the two countries. There were also issues of civil rights at home. Although this was before his inauguration, Kennedy called Coretta Scott King and told her he would help in securing her husband's release. This shows JFK was a huge proponent of the Civil Rights movement, as MLK Jr endorsed him for president after his release from

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