What Is The Metaphors In General Macarthur's Speech

“And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good Bye.” Those were the final words of General Douglas MacArthur’s as he addressed Congress on April 19, 1951. A distinguished war hero by many, General MacArthur was formally dismissed on April 11, 1951 by President Truman as a result from what was reported as insubordination ("Truman relieves MacArthur of duties in Korea"). The main points that he talked about were about the war with China, being relieved of duty by President Truman, and that the future of the United States was heading into the right direction. As General MacArthur said his final words, it …show more content…
He achieves this by stating his reasoning for wanting to push further in the Koreas and China. He believes that the United States can not only protect itself from the east and west, but do it with efficiency and with low cost. At the time respected his decision making that it affected Truman’s public image as the Commander and Chief.
As you read General MacArthur’s speech, you can find many examples of rhetorical tropes. Some examples being: similes (“Like a cobra, any new enemy will more likely strike whenever it feels…”), metaphors (“Japan is now abreast of many free nations of the earth and will not again fail the universal trust…”), and caesura are just a few examples of rhetorical tropes that he uses to make his speech a piece of art.
Just like Abraham Lincoln once said, “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” As we look at the life of General MacArthur, I believe that he will be remembered not for being dismissed by President Truman but for the millions of lives that he protected from the tyranny of others. Hero to many and one of the greatest generals in the history of the US, General MacArthur will never die; he will just fade