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Challenges faced in writing argumentative essays
Challenges faced in writing argumentative essays
Challenges faced in writing argumentative essays
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Speech Analysis Essay The speech I chose was Barack Obama’s “A More Perfect Union”. He delivered this speech on March 18, 2008 to a Philadelphia conference campaigning for a position in the White House as the next president. As well as having many people in the audience, his speech was being broadcasted so many families around the country were watching. He delivered his speech for one purpose and that purpose was to get the American people to like him. With the people liking him, he would get votes from the people for the next election. Obama used many rhetorical strategies to attract the audience. Obama relied heavily on pathos (emotional appeals), logos (logical appeals), and anecdotes. Obama pervasively used logical appeals in his …show more content…
speech. He did this in a general way by mainly mentioning the fact that the people should come together for various reasons. “And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care or education or the need to find good jobs for every American.” Obama made it clear that he wanted to fix many flaws in the United States, including health care and job problems the people were facing. Many Americans wanted the government to fix these problems but nothing was getting done. Obama implies that the most effective way things will be improved in this country will be the people uniting to make change happen. Obama gave the people a historical outline about the Declaration of Independence. He mentioned that many types of people came together to form a new government and how they all worked together to make democracy in our nation possible. Even though this was a completely different circumstance that took place in the past, it still confirmed Obama’s logic on how changes will take place if the people work together. “As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems: two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis, and potentially devastating climate change -- problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.” Obama states that there’s still racial divide in this country. The racial divide counters his cause in trying to unite the people. Besides solving health care and job problems, Obama acknowledges another issue America faces. War, terrorism, a messed up economy, and weather issues were going on. Obama made it clear that these problems would affect everyone the same way and these people couldn’t afford to be separated from each other when they would be going through the same troubles. “That -- That anger is not always productive. Indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems. It keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity within the African-American community in our own condition. It prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful, and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.” To add to the racial divide, Obama logically proves that anger and hatred between the races prevents everyone from seeing eye to eye. Everyone being on the same page allows the country to progress and improve. That is exactly what Obama wants and he makes it clear to the audience. Obama’s logical appeals were mainly statements that confirmed the opinions he talked about throughout the speech. Obama uses some emotional appeals in his speech.
He circuitously states that his presidency will improve the country. “I chose to run for President at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together, unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction: towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren. And this belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people.” Obama tries to emotionally tie the people together with the common goal of making the world a better place along with making life better for the future generations to come. This uplifts the audience because if makes them think about a better future for them and their kids. Obama went on to explain his life in the past and how it was so unique. He explained it to prove the point that this was possible because he was in this country. “These people are part of me. And they are part of America, this country that I love.” This statement definitely appealed to the audience because it showed that he was dedicated to his family, as well as his country. “And it means also taking full responsibility for our own lives -- by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and …show more content…
teaching them that to despair or cynicism. They must always believe -- They must always believe that they can write their own destiny.” Obama emotionally appeals to the audience with this statement after he talks about the economic problems that most families face in America. He wants to be president so he can fix it. His reasoning for this is to allow the children of America to make it through hardships to get to a better place. He wants the kids to succeed because he knows they are the future of America. Innocent children seem to trigger emotional feelings in most people and Obama used that to his advantage. Obama also relates to other people. “In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they've been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience…” Obama gives the audience insight on what life is like for different types of families that have their own struggles. That comforts the people he’s talking about because it shows them that he has a level of understanding. He’s sympathetic with the less fortunate which shows the audience he has a heart. Obama also discussed his own hardships in this campaign. “This is not to say that race has not been an issue in this campaign. At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either "too black" or "not black enough." We saw racial tensions bubble to the surface during the week before the South Carolina primary.” Obama discussing this possibly made the audience sympathize with him. Most people were liking his visions for the country and hearing that he was being discriminated against must have made them mad. That would also give him a more compelling campaigning story and draw a more supportive group for his presidency. These very thing made the people feel comfortable with Obama. He had to connect with the audience on a personal level to gain their trust. Obama strategically expressed emotional appeals to show his sincerity to the audience. Throughout the speech, Obama delivered many anecdotal dialogues.
These anecdotes have multiple purposes that serves Obama well. “I'm the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's army during World War II, and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas…” Obama tells the audience a bit about himself. This allows the audience to connect to him. He explains that his life is very different and it’s only possible because he is in America, where anything is possible. Most of Obama’s stories had an underlying message. With him describing the life of an underprivileged citizen, he didn’t just want to show the people that he understood what they were going through. He get the people to want change as much as he did. The whole purpose of his speech was to get the audience to like him and get them to feel that he is the perfect candidate for the next presidential position. Obama describing the harsh lifestyles of some people with the audience having the idea of him having the ability to change America for the better would completely inspire them to vote for him. These stories also confirmed the validity of most of his statements. These stories also coincided with the emotional appeals to a degree. These stories led back to the importance of unity in this country which was what Obama
wanted. Barack Obama delivered this speech to many families around the United States to gain more votes for his presidential campaign. Obama used logical appeals, emotional appeals, and anecdotes to persuade the audience into believing he was the prime presidential candidate. The validity of his speech was made evident with his factual and historical references to things that have happened in life. He connected to the audience on a personal level and logically made it clear that he could help unite the nation and make it a better place. It was quite effective because he won the election and became the forty-fourth president of the United States.
The speech I chose was Cal Ripken Jr.’s it was given at the Orioles home ball park, Camden Yards at his last home game before retiring. It is a special occasion speech and was given in front of over 48,000 fans. He used a tried and true opening sentence that although a little altered had a very familiar ring. He opened with “As a kid, I had this dream” a very loose but familiar take on MLK’s “I have a dream”. This was a great attention getter and probably had people on their feet immediately. This audience was already motivate to hear his speech so that was not an issue. Most of the fans were there for the purpose of hearing his retirement speech. He did not preview his points in the introduction he addressed those in the body of his speech one at a time. He did not try to establish credibility as he was speaking about himself so who knows more about him than himself.
The speech that I have chosen is of Lieutenant Colonel Harold in the 2002 movie We Were Soldiers. The speech occurs in the beginning of the movie prior to the soldiers heading into war in Vietnam. I chose to deliver this speech because its message is very powerfully and meaningful. Due to it encouraging soldiers to look beyond their identity and unit to accomplish a
Roy Peter Clark, author of “A More Perfect Union”: Why It Worked, takes a stance on President Barack Obama’s speech while analyzing it. President Barack Obama delivered a speech titled “A More Perfect Union.” His speech focused on the prominent issue of racism in America. In this article, Clark talks about President Obama’s known power and brilliance. Clark makes references and comparisons to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and W.EB. DuBois. “A More Perfect Union” features writing techniques that makes the message more defined and effective. President Obama utilizes four closely related rhetorical strategies. Clark broadly explains the purpose of the rhetorical strategies. Allusion, parallelism, two-ness, and autobiography helped to shape President Obama’s speech that that was meant to create
Eidenmuller, Michael E. Great Speeches for Better Speaking: Listen and Learn From America’s Most Memorable Speeches. New York: Mcgraw Hill, 2008. Google Books. Web. 4 September 2010.
The “Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation” by FDR, also known as the infamy speech, is as good a speech as any. He attempts to rally the legislative branch to say that the United States should go to war with Japan, since they had attacked the U.S. without warning and with no provocation at Pearl Harbor. His speech was astoundingly successful, winning over all of the senate and all but one in the house of representatives. He made several good points, backing them up with known facts, which he laid out in a way that made sense logically and sparked emotion out of the audience.
He wants to move past the racial segregation and move towards a truly unified country, and he uses pathos by talking about the about his upbringing and his life. The use of the descriptions of his youth with a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas shows that he can relate to the common person, seeing as he had to adjust to both sides of his family as well as the stigmas that both sides had. The urgency in which Obama answered the accusations of being similar to Wright, caused the American public to realize he does not have the same mentality. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism."
When Barack Obama ran for presidency, there were a lot of questions about his race, color, and whether he was born in the U.S.. The comments from his pastor Jeremiah Wright put him in an awkward situation, so he decided to give this speech to prove the point that we are all the same and live in the same country, so there shouldn’t be any discrimination among anyone. In his speech, Obama uses rhetorical devices to explain how race discrimination is affecting our country and us in every way possible. The use of rhetorical devices in this speech has strong effects on the audience. The use of allusion, symbolism, optimistic tone, and repetition of words gives the speech a strong argumentative tone. He argues the fact that to be able to achieve such big goals and how out country was supposed to be from the beginning, we need to stay united and rely on younger
He reviled both his personal and family history stating, “I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, “I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slave-owners”, and, I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents”. As Obama is telling his family background, He shows how and why he has an authority to speak on race issues. It then supports the remarks he later makes about the race issues that are affecting America. By Him revealing his own personal history it allows him to gain ethos by creating a personal connection with his audience. This allows his audience to be a lot more inclined to trust him, and support him if they can make a connection to his speech on a more personal
From his extremely vivid imagery at the beginning to his conclusion that America plans to seek a solution with Russia and other nations, the president’s flow from using pathos to logos to ethos made his speech very effective and compelling. His argument was backed up and supported all through out his speech, which helped his audience believe that what he was saying is true and important. However, his speech would have been nothing without the implication and opinion that America is the strongest nation in the world. Although this point is debatable, it is our duty to help other nations. We definitely do an excellent job at helping other nations and always having their best interests at heart. I believe this was the main goal for Obama’s speech; a plan to protect the United States. The use of logos, ethos and pathos just helped his speech to be more persuasive and
President Obama’s Inaugural Speech: Rhetorical Analysis. Barrack Obama’s inauguration speech successfully accomplished his goal by using rhetoric to ensure our nation that we will be in safe hands. The speech is similar to ideas obtained from the founding documents and Martin Luther King’s speech to establish ‘our’ goal to get together and take some action on the problems our country is now facing. As President Barack Obama starts his speech, he keeps himself from using ‘me’, ‘myself’, and ‘I’ and replacing it with ‘we’, ‘us’, and ‘together’ to achieve his ethos.
President Barack H. Obama has always used rhetorical strategies in his political speeches. He used these strategies to present important points and views of his in front of the public. Delivering points and views properly and logically got him to be the president in the first place. President Obama used mostly ethos and pathos, yet some logos, to deliver his inaugural and the state of union speeches. Being that, he was able to reach the audience emotionally and make the speech flow efficiently while preserving his credibility.
In the beginning of the speech Barack Obama reflects back to where his parents and grandparents came from and what they did as their occupation. Obama shows pathos, logos and ethos many times throughout his 2004 keynote speech. He also spoke on why his mother and father gave him the name that they gave him. By doing so, Barack Obama showed pathos throughout the speech and got his audience to know him a bit before pursuing the Democratic Party to vote for John Kerry. He appeals to his audience by mentioning that his parents are both passed away, and from the look of things that did not stop him from standing where he was that day with pride and sadness:
The fear he brings on by talking about Ebola spreading, the grief brought on by talking of the many murders and awful acts by ISIL terrorists, to the hope he projects be calling for the nations to come together to drive his argument. While some arguments use emotion to deceive readers and keep them from paying attention to the argument, but Obama’s speech does just the opposite. The emotions that are felt bring you closer to his argument and facilitate understanding of what he is saying. Since unfortunately not a great deal of people pay attention to politics, they are not knowledgeable on the issues that have taken place. With the use of emotion, Obama is able to help those understand without them having to know the situation entirely. For example, regarding the ISIL terrorists, Obama states the, “mother, sisters, and daughters have been subjected to rape as a weapon of war. Innocent children have been gunned down.” Now while one may not know the ins and out of all the acts of ISIL, this makes people understand that they are bad and need to be
Obama emotionally influences the nation to move forward from the issues of race that is hindering America. Without dwelling on his family tree, Obama reminds us that his father was black and his mother white, that he came from Kenya, but she came from Kansas: “I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slave and slave owners — an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
In the autobiography, Obama entails on the beginning journey of his life from early childhood to young adulthood. The novel begins with him finding out from his aunt that his father has passed away in Nairobi. Obama’s father left him and his mother when he was only 2 years old. Obama then talks about the family he grew up with, his mother and grandparents, and the racism they dealt with at a time when few accepted interracial relations and even more so marriages. He recalls being made fun of as a young child when other kids would make monkey noises when it was discovered his father was from Kenya. He then moves to Indonesia when his mother remarries, but then at 10 years old moves back to Hawaii where he spent his early childhood. It was with his grandparents that he developed much of his character and learned how strongly education was emphasized in his family. Obama also talks about how fascinated he was with by his father. As he grows a bit older into adolescence, Obama learns more about race relations and reads the book Heart of Darkness. This book helps him to see how white people look at black people, as a white man wrote the book talking about black people. He also delves into his marijuana use, which he used to help him during this confusing and rough period in his life. Obama’s story then ...