Pearl Harbor Speech Rhetorical Devices

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. Ethos, or the appeal to credibility and ethics, sways others to believe in a certain idea and to participate in the action as a way to further support
FDR explained Japans deceitfulness to the US government as they wrote “false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace”(Roosevelt) in a letter delivered to the United States government shortly after the attack. The note didn't contain any information in regards to the recent attack, but the revelation of this information enforced Roosevelt’s creditability because this specific type of information isn't easily accessed. With the use of ethos in Roosevelt’s speech, he greatly influenced the citizens’ and governments will to enter the