It has been years since there was an attack in America. On September 11, 2001. On this fateful day four passenger airliners were hijacked by terrorists. Two were crashed into the twin towers in New York, another was crashed into the West side of the Pentagon in Washington D.C. These attacks lead to the deaths of over 3,000 people and became the deadliest event for fire fighters in American history. Immediately pro American support came from countries all over the world. Despite all this outside support, the American people wanted more. They wanted to hear directly from their leader; then President George W. Bush. Previously Bush had been highly criticized for his poor orating skills, but after giving this speech to a joint session of congress …show more content…
Bush was highly praised by many for the strength and effectiveness of his speech. George W. Bush effectively uses a strong, certain and commanding diction and comparisons to comfort the American people as well as kick start the war on terrorism. Throughout his two speeches Bush uses imagery and descriptions to comfort the American public as well as jump start the war on terrorism. He opens his address to the nation with the images of “airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing” 2 (Bush).
By opening the speech with these images Bush immediately puts feelings of sadness and even anger in his audience. By reopening the wounds recently inflicted by the terrorists Bush provokes the strong emotions the events caused and cleverly begins to set the stage for his eventual call to action. In his joint address to congress .Bush ends his speech by picking up the shield of a man named George Howard who died in New York while trying to save people after the twin towers collapsed. The shield served as a reminder to Americans of all the people who lost their lives as well as all the brave men and women that went into the flames to rescue those who were trapped inside the buildings. The image of the shield was used as a symbol of sadness as well as a symbol of the strength of the American people as a whole. He also used imagery to support his call to action for the war on terrorism. During his speech, Bush spoke of Afghanistan. He spoke of how terrorist cells thrived there and painted a vivid picture of the conditions there. Bush stated that “Afghanistan's people have been brutalized; many are starving and many have fled. Women are not allowed to attend school. You can be jailed for owning a television. Religion can be practiced only as their leaders dictate. A man can be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard is not long enough” (Bush). This description gives Americans a bit of insight to what the world might be like if terrorism continues to go on. With this image of
life in Afghanistan Bush provides the public with insight that stands for everything America is against. With this, Bush is able to kick start his campaign for what would eventually become the war on terrorism. Throughout his speeches Bush skilfully used imagery to create anger and grief in his audience in the beginning of his speech and then come full circle to create a feeling of American pride at the end of his speech. He also gives people a sense of what the future may hold if something is not done about terrorism in other countries. 3 Along with imagery and descriptions, George W. Bush uses reassuring diction in his address to the nation along with very assertive and stern diction in his address to congress. In his speech to the American public Bush comforts the American people by explaining all that he and the government are doing to overcome the recent tragedy. Bush explains how he “implemented emergency response plans” and how “emergency teams are working tirelessly in Washington D.C and New York” (Bush). By saying this Bush lets the country know that everything that can be done is being done to help make sure that people are safe and being taken care of. Bush also reminds the people that America is strong. Bush reminds them that America is a “beacon of freedom” (Bush) and that the “military is strong” (Bush) This statement gives people a sense of pride in what America stands for and gives them a little bit of their sense of security back by letting them know that despite the recent events America is one of the biggest military powers in the world. In his speech to the joint session of congress, George W. Bush also used diction that was very firm when speaking of the terrorist. He says that the terrorist he speaks of “ are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century” (Bush) They “sacrifice human life to serve their radical visions”(Bush) and follow in the path of “ fascism and nazism and totalitarianism”. (Bush)This strong diction sends a message to the American people as well as the rest of the world that terrorism goes against everything the American people stand for and it will not be tolerated any longer. By using both reassuring and assertive tones George W. Bush is able to both comfort the American public and send the terrorist a message. Shortly after these speeches congress approved and declared war in Iraq. Bush, who was widely viewed as a poor orator was praised for these speeches. His approval rating also sky rocketed to 90%, the highest in his entire presidency. By using strong diction and imagery 4 throughout his speech, Bush was able to comfort the American public and initiate the war on terrorism.
In the “George Bush’ Columbia” speech, George W. Bush used a variety of ways in order to make his mark and effectively assemble his dialog. One of the most prominent strategies Mr. Bush used was his sentence structure. He did a great job shaping his speech by initially addressing the problem at hand. He first stated what happened, who it happened to, and gave his condolences to the ones who didn’t make it, along with their families. Mr. Bush also seemed sincere throughout his speech as he made sure to mention each hero apart of the crew. Another technique George W. Bush displayed was the diction and tone he used while delivering the speech. From listening to the audio last week, I remember the passion behind Bush’s words and the sincerity
Many would argue that President Obama is one of the most effective speakers in the decade. With his amazing speeches, he captivates his audience with his emotion and official tone.
Rhetorical analysis assignment: President’s Address to the Nation. Since the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration has been calling on all citizens and all nations to support his Middle East policy. Nonetheless, the U.S. has been involved in the Middle East struggle for more than half of the century, wars were waged and citizens were killed.
“Yesterday December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy” (Roosevelt). The attack on Pearl Harbor was an event that many Americans will never forget. The day after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech to address the public and Congress. His speech started by discussing how Japan had deceived America into thinking that they could create peace between the nations. He spent three paragraphs on how the attack was planned and deliberate and how America was completely unaware of Japan’s intentions. Roosevelt spent only a little time on paying respects to the lost lives of the soldiers. After that, Roosevelt talked about how many other nations Japan has attacked. Then Roosevelt started the “pep talk” portion of his speech. He talked about the strength of the nation and how America will defend themselves against evil forces. He ends his speech with a call for war and asked Congress to declare war against Japan. The goal of his speech was to persuade Congress to declare war on Japan, as well as to get the American people to support him in his endeavors. Roosevelt gave his speech in front of Congress, but the American people all over the nation tuned into the radio to hear his speech. Roosevelt uses many rhetorical devices to get American to unite against Japan. His speech uses the rhetorical devices logos, ethos, and pathos to argue his side. He uses
Bush opens his speech by acknowledging the events of September 11, and those that lost the lives of loved ones and to those that gave their life trying to save others in the buildings. He appeals to those that remain strong by saying that, “These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong.” His use of pathos helps Bush to calm and control the public in order to keep the country together. This
Throughout the speech, the Former President George W Bush strives to empower Americans by instructing them to remain resolute, but to “go back to [their] lives and routines”. He uses the personal pronoun we and the common pronoun us repeatedly to indicate that the people of the United States, who either saw the event on television or experienced this event firsthand, were and still are involved in this national tragedy. He implements this emotional appeal into his speech to involve all Americans--people living in the United States of America, regardless of their ethnicity, race, or culture, and to acknowledge that the American people have endured this together, and that they will continue to advance after this event with stronger resolve, stronger than ever. In addition, he implements personification to motivate and empower the American people. “Our nation, this generation, will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future” (Bush, 2001). “This generation”, again a synonym for the American people, with its unwavering resolve, will fight for its freedom persistently. He intimates that the future of America and of democratic freedom is in the hands of the American people: that the American people have the power to control their fate. The next sentence leads into America’s “philanthropically” democratic nature: “We will rally the world to this cause, by our efforts and by our courage” (Bush, 2001). This statement has been followed up by action only a few years later, when the United States intervened in the Iraqi War, Libyan Revolution, and even more civil wars to ensure the freedom of citizens from dictatorships, which in Islāmic nations, were militant groups, like the Hamas and Taliban. Lastly, the president utilized anaphora, specifically a tripartite structure, by affirming that the American people “will not tire”, “will not falter”, and “will not fail”. He implies that the American people will relentlessly fight for the worldwide establishment of peace and democratic institutions, a promise which America has kept even in the face of its own national crisis.
President George W. Bush is notorious for horrible public speaking, tripping over his words and making silly mistakes are not uncommon in President Bush’s speeches. When 9/11 struck the heart of America we turned to President Bush to guide us back to the path of calm and reason. The American population tends to lean on our President in time of tragedy to serve as a system of support. Instantly after the World Trade Center buildings were attacked President Bush addressed the nation on live television. Bush used neo-Aristotelian tactics: ethos, pathos, and logos to instate a sense of patriotism, argue that America will recover from this tragedy and bring justice to our nation.
In this paper I am going to discuss the rhetorical appeals, as well as the argumentative structure, audience and purpose set forth by George W. Bush in his September 27 speech in Flagstaff, Arizona. More specifically I will refer to the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos and logos, and explain how they are used to gain the support and attention of the audience and further the further the purpose of the speech. As I explain these appeals I will also give an insight into the argumentative structure and why it is apparent in this particular speech.
This was a very emotional event that occurred. Many people lost loved ones they cared about in the terrorist attack. For many Americans knowing that terrorist groups could attack U.S. soil scared a lot of people. Before, President Bush first addressed the nation on this terrible event many people had lost hope. When writing his speech, it was easy for him to relate to what happened. President Bush didn’t have to create an emotional response; he was already feeling the pain and was speaking from his heart during his speech.When President Bush gave his speech to the nation, it helped people realize that Americans are still strong and we will continue to fight for our country. He stated in his speech “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.” (George Bush) By President Bush stating this in his speech it showed that they can try to scare us, but they can’t change the way we do things in
Bush demonstrates that with the use of metaphors, personification, and also repetition. Using metaphor, he compares America to steel, saying that America is like steel, but not pliable. Portraying that whatever dangerous act comes to America, America will stay strong and not move. Personification is to explain the reasoning behind the terrorists’ operations and the motives behind this move. Bush gives feeling and visualization traits to the nation, consequently putting it in the nation’s point of view, highlighting what the nation felt and saw. Repetition is to bring America together and strengthen everyone. It is to show that this heartbreaking event did not just affect the victims, but it affects the entire country. The way Bush uses repetition to get the people of America together makes America stronger because the more a country is together, the more power and strength it will possess. As a final point, President Bush’s usage of these three rhetorical devices grabs the attention of the people and helps Bush express the type of tone he wants to get
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.
These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” George Bush was president at the time when the 9/11 attack happened. George Bush wrote this quote for the thousands of lives that were hugely affected. To the kids worried about their parents while they are in school, to the worried husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters. The 9/11 attack did not only change the lives of people who lost a loved one, and the people who were there where the planes hit, but also people who just saw what was happening and people who heard about it, cried. The increase and patriotism and the rise in security will make people feel more secure and protected but it will never change the the amount of people affected by 9/11. Millions of people around the world know about what happened on September 11th, 2001. Millions of people will be changed
President Obama’s Address to the nation was presented on January 5, 2016. His speech was shown on all of the major network stations. The main goal of his speech was to get the point across to the nation about the increasing problem of gun use. His speech really focused on the issue of gun control and if it would benefit the country. Overall, the biggest idea of his Address was that gun control is a large issue in the United States. The way to prevent deaths caused by firearms can be prevented in other ways than taking peoples guns away. The examples brought up in this Address really stood out to me. The use of personal, national, and global examples really made his speech stronger on the topic of effectiveness.
George Bush’s Address To The Nation Address to the Nation, was the name of a famous speech given by George W. Bush after the horrific 9/11 terrorist attacks. This pivotal speech came as a direct response to a terroristic attack against the United States, the importance not only when it was delivered or even how but rather the content. This speech was given using perfect metaphors, allusion, as well as personification. Together along with the historical background and rhetoric within this speech, George W. Bush could assure and rally the American people in their time of need. Thanks to his quick thinking and ability as a writer the people could see hope in Americas darkest hour.
George Bush’s post 9/11 speech was directed to the American people on the ‘deliberate and deadly terrorist acts’ and the initial steps the government would take against terrorism, and to offer his condolences and comfort those who lost loved ones. The speech was addressed to the American people concerning the death of thousands of innocent Americans; however, it is also well known world wide. Bush used language devices to enlighten his American audience on the emotional impacts with the use of his words, emphasising the great tragedy of the 9/11 attack.