Rhetorical Analysis On 9/11

On September 11, 2001, a ghastly crime was committed against the United States of America. The Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda systemized four terrorist attacks on the country, targeting symbolic landmarks. Planes were hijacked, one crashing into the pentagon, one that was headed towards Washington D.C ended up crashing in an open field due to the valiant efforts of those on board, and the other two colliding into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The aftermath of this evil event was destruction and heartbreak. 2,977 innocent lives were lost, over 6,000 severely injured, many of these who lived having permanent health effects, the families of those who had been killed forever having to experience that empty void.

Bush goes at great lengths to describe the recent tragedy as well as the mood of the nation as one of despair and fear of the future. Nevertheless, Bush maintains that America “will define our times” rather than be defined by them, stating the great resolve he believes the nation to possess, to maintain control over our own destiny. Bush also speaks of the hope of human freedom, that this hope is not dead and that by the nation’s determination we will protect and defend this hope no matter the circumstances, tying together his tones of hope and determination. Further, rather than hope on this grand scale, Bush also states his hope that people will be able to return to their normal routines, a point all the more salient as the date of this speech was not very long after September

His tone is one of sympathy, characterized by sadness and compassion. Blair recognizes the need to work for a better future, but his speech emphasizes the great loss September 11 represented, though not in a sense of hopelessness, but rather grief at the loss of a great many people. This is exemplified by his story of speaking with the families of those who lost loved ones, as he describes the sadness and longing of all who were there.He shares his sympathy with the American people as well as the British families who lost loved ones in the attacks. Again, the tone is not one of hopelessness towards the future, as Blair specifically states out of this tragedy we must unite for a better future. But rather, the sympathetic tone is meant to convey the sadness that all was