John Fitzgerald Kennedy – the 35th president of the United States is said to have delivered one of the most inspiring inaugural addresses in American history, often times compared to that of Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address. Kennedy’s speech is described as having further invoked the American dream and extending its promise to the rest of the world. Alas, it is also a speech that is riddled with propaganda techniques incorporated into its very roots, hence giving it the ability to stand the test of time. Kennedy’s speech came in a very tumultuous time of American history. The height of the Cold War, the arms race to build nuclear bombs (for fear of nuclear war), and the Big Red Scare of communism had severely damaged the ties between …show more content…
the American people. JFK, in his opening address, had to use his speech to instil patriotism in the Americans, restore their faith in the American government and propagate the idea of peace with the world. And he did just that with the use of various propaganda techniques. JFK linked his speech with various highly valued concepts, a technique known as glittering generalities.
The speech had a plethora of glittering generalities with the more emphasised and powerful ones being “our ancient heritage,” “rights of man,” “peace,” “liberty,” and “national loyalty.” These words created a false sense of connection amongst the people because the concept of peace and liberty was something that every American held dear to. It was the very idea of America being the “Land of the free” that spurred sentimental feelings for the people and motivated them to take the message of the speech to heart. But these words don’t actually hold any actual meaning, in fact, only a handful of people could actually define the concepts behind these words. This is because the terms used hold a very connotative meaning that can be severely biased based on a person’s perspective, giving way to huge disparities in …show more content…
meaning. Another popular propaganda technique that makes its way into Kennedy’s inaugural address is transfer, also known as glory by association.
In fact, the greatest emphasis of this technique is incorporated into the very beginning and end of his speech. The first being “For I have sworn before you and Almighty God…” this statement is used to transfer the status of the citizens to the same level as God himself. This is a very effective technique used to patronize the citizens and make them believe that their importance is just as equal as that of God for the American government. However, the very last words of his speech exemplify this technique. His statement, “here on earth God’s work must truly be our own,” makes the American people believe that by working for the government they are doing what God is advocating. The technique links two unrelated topics that hold little to no practical meaning. How can following the government’s message or being a good citizen be God’s message? This technique relies on the fact that a positive image, in this case God’s shadow, is projected at the linked concept to lure the audience into ‘religiously’ following the
message. Perhaps the greatest principle that JFK relied on in his speech was Pathos, appealing to emotion. It was used to boost the egos of the American citizens by making them part of a select few generations that “have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.” This associates a sense of pride to the public and reflects back on the ideal of America being ‘the land of the brave’. There is also the negative emotion of sadness that Kennedy exploits by referring to “the graves of young Americans who answered the call to service around the globe.” It is used as a guilt-trip to get Americans to raise their voices and accept Kennedy’s challenge of bettering the nation themselves. The most significant appeal to emotion used in JFK’s address is the exclamation that “In your hands… more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.” It is absolutely wrong to think that the American public will have a greater impact than the president himself, it is merely a guise to empower the American citizens and lure them into a false sense of importance.
“Born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage.” (Miss, Daly, Pg.). This show the U.S. people that he really loves this country and really cares about what’s going on and what happens to it in the future. Another way he brings pathos into his speech is by the language/words he uses in his speech. When he is talking he uses a lot of words like “we”, “us”. This makes the U.S. people feel very connected to him and makes the feel like they are a part of it to, it is like they made the decision to vote him president and now they get to help him make his decisions about the future of America. In his address he says “In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.” (Miss, Daly, Pg.). which again he connects to the people by making them feel involved and by basically saying the future of America is even more in our hands then in his and it really depends on us in how we want America to turn out, and again makes the U.S people feel very patriotic and proud of their country. Overall John F Kennedy was very successful in persuading the U.S. people about their choice by using pathos and by just talking to
On January 20th, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy gave a speech to the nation, which encompassed a new vision for the country with a new generation. That speech was JFK’s Inaugural Address. As the new 35th president, JFK was the youngest president to enter the oval office at the age of forty-three ("Inaugural Address."). The nation was still in in the process of healing after World War II. In the eyes of the masses, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a breath of fresh air for the American People. He was a youthful president, with his youthful image; he was able to rally the younger generations with a progressive vision. This speech was a message to the nation in which JFK outlines a new direction for The United States by securing it’s freedom, being a competitive nation in all aspects, and rallying the citizens behind the government.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. He graduated from Harvard, and joined the navy. He worked as a reporter before entering the political arena. He later wrote “profiles in courage” which won the Pulitzer Prize Award. Being that JFK was the youngest president to ever be in office there is no doubt that he encountered a lot of skepticism. This speech had many purposes but most importantly it gave him positive recognition. The inaugural address was written to encourage the American public to get actively involved with their country. It also reassured them that it was not a contest that he won but rather chance at a beginning. This speech reassured the voters that they made the right choice and informed a country that they were going to see some changes.
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.
of patriotism in his speech. He wants America to be proud even in the face of
Evident throughout his entire address, Kennedy employs a cogent pathos appeal to keep his audience intrigued. This can be demonstrated when Kennedy initially proclaims: “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans…” who he urges to be “unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of…human rights to which this nation has always been committed…” (Kennedy). Kennedy’s usage of “we” rather than “I” gives the audience a sense that they exist as part of something big, perhaps a family, while portraying Kennedy as a people’s president who desires to be a “person in the crowd.” Throughout his address, Kennedy establishes pathos mainly by appealing to American patriotism, a significant concept during the Cold War period in which Americans needed a jingoistic spirit to succeed. By reminding his audience of their forefathers and instigating parallels between “the first revolution” and the present generation, “born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage,” the president grasps the attention of the audience. He even stresses the value of liberty and this generation’s dedication to the survival of that value to rou...
In conclusion, this speech was structured beautifully. Its use of figurative and expressive language makes it an unforgettable speech. Kennedy does a great job of using pathos, ethos, and logos to reiterate his commitment to the American public as well as discuss expected changes. Given the state of the world at the time of his inauguration, the decision to rely so heavily on pathos and ethos was a wise one which got the job done. His use of the rhetoric triangle effectively conveys Kennedy’s plan for America to not only her citizens, but to the world.
In the speech, President Bush uses several metaphors to show that the United States is a strong country. Bush leads into the comparison of America, to the bending still occurring from the planes flying through the
He mentions the very recent violence that occurred in Selma, Alabama; where African Americans were attacked by police while preparing to march to Montgomery to protest voting rights discrimination. Without mentioning this violent event that occurred a week prior, there would not be much timeliness to his argument, and it wouldn’t have been as effective. The timeliness of his argument gave the speech a lot more meaning, and it heightened the emotions of many who heard the address. He is appealing to the emotions of many American people, both Congressmen and ordinary citizens, to encourage them to support his cause. He reminds us of all of the Americans around the world that are risking their lives for our freedom.
He makes sure his audience connects with him directly by making them feel at his level, and at hiss. This way he connects to the audience, and in exchange, helps his statement of unity. Using various examples of parallelism, anaphora and refrain, Obama brands the theme of equality and togetherness in our country throughout the speech, vital to gaining the respect of his audience. Obama recalls the ‘enduring strength of the constitution’ by delving into the past alluding to America’s allegiance to the Declaration of Independence by quoting “we hold these truths. that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
It was a brief speech that captivated a lot of matters that concern the American citizens exclusively and the world inclusively. He divided his speech into different sectors which are citizens’ sacrifice, the idea of service, adopting changes, promise of wealth, government harmony and dignity. The language used in the speech was flawless and applicable to the audience, who was the public, since he was using every day vocabulary. Therefore, the speech has a strong structure that can be easily understood by the majority of people. The audience typically will and was the American citizens, but since the United States has many international relationships, President Obama was trying to reach beyond the nationwide concerns and meet a mutual background....
So what was going on leading up to John F. Kennedy’s famous speech? After war world II and when America used nukes, everyone in the world was trying to gain nuclear capabilities so they could become a world power. So with everyone having nukes, there was a giant fear that “Dooms Day” was coming and the Earth would be destroyed. In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man made satellite. This scarred Americans to death because they had no idea what they were dealing with. Is this satellite spying on them 24/7 or was it preparing to launch missiles at the USA? The fact of not knowing is what scarred the citizens of the United States. So with the 1960 election coming around and communism seeming to be getting stronger every day, America needed a strong leader.
In his Inaugural Address he said, that he would bear any burden, pay any price, and the hardship, to oppose any foe and success of liberty(Kennedy.5). This meant that he was to do as much as he possibly could to ensure and spread freedom around the world. Because European countries wanted a communist country which was to have all of your property owned not by you but everyone. Since there was no freedom or constitution Kennedy’s wasn’t going to approve of this idea. President Kennedy also stated, “...those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.” (Kennedy.8). He stated something very powerful with how the Nuclear attacks were occurring then that he said, that people who want power and use force will be destroyed before he can control
Opening with "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.” conveys an image of the constitution for the purpose of the speech; what comes next is “Two hundred and twenty one years ago,” an opening that places him in the tradition of Lincoln at Gettysburg and Dr. King at the Lincoln Memorial “Five score years ago.” Concentrating on the nation’s misunderstanding and miscommunication connected to racism in America.
John F. Kennedy was an American politician and the Democratic runner in the 1960 Presidential Election. This speech was written by JFK once he had won the 1960s Democratic Nomination and was to speak at the 1960s Democratic Convention. As this time, JFK, was still Senator John F. Kennedy and was running against Richard Nixon for