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. Roosevelt’s word choice is especially powerful as is seen in his use of the unusual word “infamy.” He also uses repetition and the way he orders his points to achieve …show more content…
He emphasizes the horror when he states, “I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost.” He tries to gain the confidence of the the American people by stating that other countries have been attacked, as well. He uses parallel structure and repetition to indicate that places other than the US were attacked. He repeats this framework to emphasize that many other places were attacked. He does this so that his audience can understand the greater impact of the event. FDR then concludes this section of his speech by stressing the fact that he knows what the Americans are feeling and the opinions that have been formed. Roosevelt implies that he knows their lives will change and that the people are concerned for their safety. He does this to make the listeners understand that they are not alone in their reaction to this attack and that everybody in America feels this …show more content…
He tries to raise the spirits of the people by reassuring them that they are safe: “ I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.” In naming what he has done he eases the concerns of the people who are worried about their safety. He promises to use “all measures” within his power including the resources of our military to protect the people. Roosevelt is very emphatic in his promise to protect the country. He wants the American People to understand that they are safe and there is nothing to worry about. He feels that he and the United States Congress are doing everything they can to protect the United States. He drives this home by promising we, “will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.” He promises that this will never happen again which gives the reader even more confidence that they will be safe. By frequently emphasizing his promise FDR tries to assure the vulnerable citizens that they will be ok. He is provides them the relief they are looking for. He then wraps up his speech by informing the people the country has declared war on
The first thing realized by the president that he mentioned the fact that people want to see him speaking honestly and he expressly made use of worlds i.e. sincerity and honesty. Roosevelt mentioned about the fear and regarded that our biggest fear is the fear itself. He is playing a paternalistic role in this speech and he is acting just like a parent calms the fear of his kid. He has numerously used the word
President Roosevelt does a few specific things to be able to establish his credibility as a speaker. Since Roosevelt was the current president, the United States was inclined to listen to him and believe what he was saying. Being the president, the people knew that he was a credible source to receive information from. The president had also been appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1920. This shows that he had experience with the United States military services and knew how to handle the Pearl Harbor situation. Roosevelt?s speech is short, but it still utilizes pathos, ethos, and logos and has just enough detail to let the world know what was going on.
A major rhetorical choice President Roosevelt incorporated into his moving speech was anaphora. After he explained the country’s relationship with Japan before the attack, and after he explained the devastating results of the attack, he starts to list off in a very structured order the other countries Japan chose to attack, using almost a formulaic approach: “Last night, Japanese forces attacked…” The reason he chooses to repeat the same structured phrases repeatedly is to grab the attention of the audience and to make them feel outraged. It shows who
President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the United States Congress following the unexpected attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor the previous day. As a result, Roosevelt asked the Congress to declare war on Japan. In his speech to Congress, President Roosevelt stated that the previous day, which was December 7th, 1941, was a date that they will live in notoriety. President Roosevelt said that the United States of America was abruptly and intentionally attacked by naval and air forces of the Japanese emperor.
Roosevelt’s inaugural address focused on the current situation of the nation and he intended to declare war on the Great Depression. He stated a need to move as a nation through his leadership and become a better nation. Roosevelt took a strong stand and proclaimed, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. He looks to the future asking the nation to fulfill their “true destiny” of ministering to themselves and their fellow men.
Franklin Roosevelt struck people 's emotions with his patriotic and nationalistic quotes. “With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.” 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. The message however showed no signs of the forthcoming attack on Pearl Harbor. The President also creates emotions in the audience by his use of tone and emphasis. His tone is stern yet caring showing that he believes in the American people. It also shows that while the United States was attacked, he has faith that the American troops, citizens, and government will rally behind him to terminate the
In his speech, Roosevelt uses the rhetorical strategy pathos, in order to convince congress to his cause, through emotion. He does this through a series of steps: sadness, anger and call to action. For the first step he says “I regret to tell you (Congress) many lives have been lost” this of course creates a forlorn response from the audience, more than two thousand people died that day and almost all were soldiers. The second step he says “Japanese government deceived [The U.S.] with false statements for hope and peace” and he also states “It’s obvious the attack was deliberately planned”
One reason on how Roosevelt's "First Inaugural Address" made a difference was the words he used to wage war. Roosevelt uses words like "retreat" and "advance" in his speech. "With this pledge taken, I assume unhesitatingly the leadership of this great army of our people dedicated to a disciplined attack upon our common problems," Roosevelt says. Which means that he is ready to dominate the Great Depression and help the people of America.
Roosevelt wanted this speech to sound serious and unforgettable. He used several techniques to conquer his task.When Roosevelt expressed his speech he promised fast action and he portrayed own unshakable self-confidence Americans listening on various radios everywhere(Franklin).
Within a minute of his address, Roosevelt begins talking about all of America’s “common difficulties.” He says, “They concern, thank God, only material things. Values have shrunk to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen. . .” (5). Roosevelt delivered this speech in 1933, when the Great Depression was at its peak. The public knew how awful conditions were nationwide; however, the president declaring they were bad is incredibly important. Instead of brushing off reality, Roosevelt sides with his audience, thus making him a more reliable and trustworthy figure in the eyes of the American people. By building that trust right away, the public has the ability to see Roosevelt as someone they can relate to, and strengthens the points he makes throughout the rest of his address. It is said that honesty is the best policy, and Roosevelt does a remarkable job of sharing the truth with his audience during his Inaugural
“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” These words were spoken the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The bombing of Pearl Harbor cost more than 2,000 lives and nearly destroyed 20 naval vessels. Eight of these ships happened to be battleships, but luckily no aircraft carriers were in the area. On December 8, the day after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt gave his address to the nation. He ended this address with, “I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire,” thus beginning the United States role in WWII.
"Franklin D. Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor Speech." American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 5: 1940-1949. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 213-215. Biography in Context. Web. 10 Jan. 2014. Article.
He knew that being in the public’s eye could turn sour quickly if negative press spread, and manipulated the media to make sure this didn’t happen. Roosevelt understood the media and how he could manipulate it to his benefit. Roosevelt appealed to the public through the power of the media. He knew that millions of eyes watched him at all times, and essentially thought, hey, might as well make sure those eyes love me. The media had never been seen as a tool to use, but rather as a nuisance to deal with. Roosevelt changed all that, using the media as a “bully pulpit”, as he put it, to influence public opinions (Milkis, Domestic). He saw it as a good a good way to reach out to people and bypass political parties in doing so. Roosevelt’s forceful personality, many opinions, and rambunctious family made good
One day after the attack that resulted in the deaths of 2,400 soldiers, President Roosevelt delivered his request for the formal declaration war to the Congress. In the devastating face of war, Roosevelt galvanized the country to fight against the Axis powers of Japan, Italy, and Germany as he declares the day of the attack to “live in infamy.” In the homes of millions of Americans who tuned into the the speech, Roosevelt warned that the people, territory, and interests of the United States are in grave danger. Receiving overwhelming support in the form of all but one representative voting for war, the machine of war was ignited, fueled with the “confidence in [the] armed forces [and] the unbounding determination of [Americans].” As a result of Roosevelt’s Speech, the United States joined the Allied Powers in World War II, and effectively ended the Great Depression through spending supported by patriotic Americans buying
The next paragraph seems to be aimed at abolishing any doubts that Roosevelt’s words are sincere, honest, and not a political ploy. Roosevelt accomplished this plainly with the words, “I want to tell you what has been done… and why it was done,” and, “I recognize that the many procla...