A Rhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama's Speech On Japan

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March 11, 2011 rocked the peace and brought the world to its knees while witnessing one of the largest energy disasters in history, the Fukushima Accident. This disaster occurred because of a tsunami that resulted from a magnitude 9.0 earthquake. Failed safety protocol for tsunami resistance led to the meltdown of three of the six nuclear reactors resulting in the emission of a substantial amount of radioactive material. In response to this grave incident, President Barack Obama addressed his “Speech on Japan” to the Americans and Japanese affected by this horrific event. Obama delivered this speech in hopes of implanting the idea of safety within the mindsets of his listeners and reassuring success for the future. Barack Obama behests a hopeful atmosphere through demonstrating careful consolation of the people affected and explicating confidence in the recovery of Japan. …show more content…

He employs heartfelt, empathetic diction to express the concerns felt by the “heartbroken” and “deeply concerned” American people toward the victims of the disaster in Japan. In addition to diction, Obama incorporates vivid imagery to accentuate the “death and destruction” faced by this peaceful nation. The mix of empathetic diction and vivid imagery harmonizes to create a regretful tone that plucks at the heartstrings of his listeners. To further aid people in realizing the severity of the situation, Obama includes a juxtaposition of the normally “peaceful” country of Japan with the event that brought an “unimaginable toll of death” to represent the anomaly of such a devastating event in Japan. As a response to this event, Obama voices the disaster responders’ control over the situation with a focus on continued

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