The 32nd president of the U.S., Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his persuasive speech “Day of Infamy” (1941), highlights the effects of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on American lives. Through his impactful and critical commentary, Roosevelt expresses an assertive tone, encouraging American citizens to perceive hope and safety through the U.S. government during this time of terror. He successfully conveys the extent to which the Japanese Empire has inflicted destruction and tragedy on American civilians, military, and territory, emphasizing the necessity for individuals to remain hopeful, determined, and to support the American declaration of warfare. Roosevelt employs emotional appeals when he arrives at a realization of the devastation …show more content…
He articulates his compassion for the great suffering and loss that citizens had to experience as a result of Japanese deception and attacks. Through the utilization of this emotional response, he is able to motivate grieving individuals to persist to eventual victory. Furthermore, this optimism allowed the tragic moment in which Americans had to endure the throbbing pain of deceased members of their families to transform into one with pride and determination as the U.S. government declared a state of war against the Japanese forces. It is apparent that Roosevelt unites all Americans under a single banner of hope as they are now surrounded by a patriotic atmosphere and driven to accept the declaration of war against the deceiving Japanese Empire. In the face of hostility and danger imposed by a foreign global power, Roosevelt …show more content…
He is determined that the American people will “win through to absolute victory” (Roosevelt). Through the display of his awareness and belief in citizens, he evokes a common sense of national unity, deeply rooted in his empathetic and uplifting nature. Possible bias can be spotted in these touching words, expressing subjectiveness which garners support from the American people as they share the same political boundaries and values. By addressing hostility towards Japan for their careless destructiveness, he is able to unite all citizens towards the common cause of declaring war against this foreign enemy. Roosevelt also highlights the “false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace” imposed on Americans to undermine Japan’s position (Roosevelt). The exposure of fake Japanese desires for peaceful relations resulted in great anger and determination for Americans to support the war against them. Once again, a biased tone is depicted in his speech, causing resentment within American communities, adding to an existing frustrated atmosphere. This intense pressure and the inclination towards action motivated many citizens to adhere to Roosevelt’s declaration of
Previous to the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7th 1941, tensions had been forming between the USA and Japan in the pacific. The US had cut of most supplies to Japan with the fear of Japanese expansion. The conflict that had been escalating between Japan and China since 1937 had the US treating Japan with great cautiousness. They had been monitoring Japanese Americans in anticipation of a surprise attack. However the attack on Pearl Harbour still shocked and outraged the American nation and affected the American psyche. After being assured that “a Japanese attack on Hawaii is regarded as the most unlikely thing in the world”(1), the sudden mass destruction of the U.S Navy’s Pacific fleet and deaths of roughly 2400 U.S soldiers and civilians as a result of such an attack undoubtedly lead to confusion and racial hatred amongst many US citizens. The assumption on the War Department’s behalf that Japan’s Navy were incapable of launching a full scale assault on the US Navy’s chief Pacific base was more than inaccurate. As a result, the US Naval base was unprepared and was quickly taken out. A hidden bias would soon become evident in both average civilians and higher positioned government officials. This bias against Japan aided in the formation of the Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) on February 19th 1942.
The author of this essay is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was the president of the United States at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. The purpose of this speech was to inform the entire United States about what had happened the day before at Pearl Harbor. The nation was to be warned that the United States was going to declare war against Japan. The intended audience is everyone in the United States. President Roosevelt ef...
Nearly everyone has heard the words, “Yesterday, December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked.” These words, delivered by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, are but a small piece of an elaborate example of a well-executed rhetorical speech. He used rhetorical devices and strategies such as anaphora, repetition, and amplification, in order to achieve his purpose of informing the people of the United States of the attack on Pearl Harbor the day before, to persuade the people to support the war effort, and to remember those innocent lives lost.
The attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7th, 1941, was and still is an event that will forever be deep-rooted in the mind of every American. After the tragic surprise attack on American soil by the Japanese, Americans throughout the country were looking for a sense of unity. The President at the time, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, recited a moving and powerful speech the day after the attack. Although the speech was specifically targeted at the Members of Congress in an effort to persuade the declaration of war with Japan, the speech was also written to be televised to the entire country. When the attack comes to mind, the powerful speech that mustered the nation together slowly follows. Every famous speech uses specific rhetorical devices in order to persuade and convince the intended audience. FDR’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos, successfully triggered the emotions of all U.S citizens and effectively provoked the idea of America declaring war on the Empire of Japan.
... the actions that Japanese government had taken towards my nation. The massive damage of material goods and killing of blameless American people, as said by President Roosevelt in his speech, would make me support the opinion of retaliating back on the Japanese people.
In conclusion, Franklin D. Roosevelt's use of simple, yet effective, rhetorical devices created one of the most influential speeches in American history. He connected with the audience on a emotional level, then with ease convinced them to declare war on Japan, which congress then did 30 minutes later with only one member in the House of Representatives who voted no. FDR will always be remembered for this powerful and emotional speech and December 7th, 1914 will always be ‘a date which will live in infamy’ (Roosevelt).
Franklin D. Roosevelt is informing the country of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He is trying to persuade the United States to back his reasoning to go the war. Roosevelt uses pathos, ethos, and logos and help persuade the American people. By using the emotion of his audience to feel angered towards the empire of Japan, he feels it will help persuade. Giving strong ethical points why going to war must happen.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered a powerful speech before Congress on December 8th 1941, the day after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. His purpose in addressing the country in this way is his attempt to calm the American People and avoid chaos across the country. Roosevelt is aware of the impact that the event has had on the Citizens. As their leader, he forcefully reassures the population that they will be safe. The President emphasizes that the United States would not allow the attacks to affect the country though his use of rhetorical devices, including pathos.
The famous Infamy Speech was spoken December 8th, 1941 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of the United States at the time of Pearl Harbor. FDR was a moving speaker for the American people. The speech was very patriotic by calling congress to vote for a Declaration of War against the Empire of Japan. By proclaiming the “attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago,” Roosevelt suggests the attack was conducted with the intent not to negotiate with the ambassador. This guides the American people towards hate against the Japanese. The disliking of the Japanese is strengthened when Roosevelt reports that “very many American lives have been lost.” By saying ‘American’ lives, it draws the American people into
During the early days of World War II, the United States remained officially neutral. It was not until the attack on Pearl Harbor, by the Japanese, that the United States had no choice, but to declare war. At the beginning of the war Japan won most of the battles (Gailey). These defeats resulted in the morale being low among the American troops. President Theodore Roosevelt wanted to boost morale and push forward the Pacific front with a strike on the Japanese homeland to serve as a testament to American military prowess and retribution for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor (Shepherd).
This quote strikes at the hearts of Americans filling them with a sense of pride and determination. President Roosevelt makes it clear that no matter what other nations will do to the United States, the American people will be filled with resilience and rebound to make the nation as great and powerful as it ever was. When the President speaks about the attacks on Pearl Harbor, his tone creates a feeling of anger. The feeling of anger is created when he states that the Japanese launched this attack with no warning. The Empire of Japan had its ambassador and a colleague meeting with the Secretary of State to give them a message that they didn't want to continue to negotiate with the United States.
On December 7,1941 Japan raided the airbases across the islands of Pearl Harbour. The “sneak attack” targeted the United States Navy. It left 2400 army personnel dead and over a thousand Americans wounded. U.S. Navy termed it as “one of the great defining moments in history”1 President Roosevelt called it as “A Day of Infamy”. 2 As this attack shook the nation and the Japanese Americans became the immediate ‘focal point’. At that moment approximately 112,000 Persons of Japanese descent resided in coastal areas of Oregon, Washington and also in California and Arizona.3
From September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945, the world was witness to the most fatal war in our history. During this six year period, an estimated 78 million died. In 1940, The US, despite not having joined the war at the time, was at risk of being invaded. Franklin D. Roosevelt realized that without the help of the US, the war efforts of Great Britain and the rest of Europe were futile. However, American citizens were opposed to joining the war because of the horrors of World War 1 and the idea of those horrors being repeated. In an effort to convince the American public to take action, Roosevelt addressed the country on December 29, 1940. Roosevelt’s use of repetition and pathos within his speech, “The Great Arsenal of Democracy,” illustrated
In the early days of World War II the everyday people of this country already sensed the great change to come. Interviews taken from the Library of Congress, in the collection labeled “After the Day of Infamy,” offer a window into the past. Into the America that existed in the early days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entrance into the war. Inside the collection, the pulse of the nation is revealed. Ordinary people, some of whom do not reveal their names, are given a chance to record their opinion of the war, the Japanese people, and the race relations within the union. In these open letters to the president and the “Man on the Street” interviews, the American public reveals their prejudices and their concerns in the most candid of fashion.
World War II was a time of heightened tension. The entire world watched as fascism and dictatorships battled against democracy and freedom in the European theater. The United States looked on, wishing to remain neutral and distant from the war. On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, officially drawing the U.S. into the war. Thousands of young sailors died in the attack and several U.S. Navy vessels were sunk. The attack marked the beginning of the United States’ involvement in World War II as well as the beginning of the persecution of Japanese Americans in the U.S. Hysteria and outrage increased across the country and largely contributed to the authority’s decision to act against the Japanese. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, allowing the military to place anyone of Japanese lineage in restri...