Rhetorical Analysis On 9/11

On September 11, 2001, a ghastly crime was committed against the United States of America. The Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda systemized four terrorist attacks on the country, targeting symbolic landmarks. Planes were hijacked, one crashing into the pentagon, one that was headed towards Washington D.C ended up crashing in an open field due to the valiant efforts of those on board, and the other two colliding into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The aftermath of this evil event was destruction and heartbreak. 2,977 innocent lives were lost, over 6,000 severely injured, many of these who lived having permanent health effects, the families of those who had been killed forever having to experience that empty void.

A nation’s peace of mind was taken away, however world leaders stepped up in order to bring back the hope to overcome such a tragedy. Two of them being President Bush and Prime Minister Blair. Both of these powerful men gave speeches in light of the horrible events and in each of these speeches rhetorical strategies and tone are used by the speakers to achieve the purpose of uniting the people together towards a common goal.

The speech given by George W Bush just days after September 11 is characterized by a tone of determination and hope in the face of hopelessness.

Bush goes at great lengths to describe the recent tragedy as well as the mood of the nation as one of despair and fear of the future. Nevertheless, Bush maintains that America “will define our times” rather than be defined by them, stating the great resolve he believes the nation to possess, to maintain control over our own destiny. Bush also speaks of the hope of human freedom, that this hope is not dead and that by the nation’s determination we will protect and defend this hope no matter the circumstances, tying together his tones of hope and determination. Further, rather than hope on this grand scale, Bush also states his hope that people will be able to return to their normal routines, a point all the more salient as the date of this speech was not very long after September

11.

Bush relies on both ethos and pathos as a rhetorical strategy in his speech. In his use of ethos, Bush praises the United States for its unparalleled resolve in the face of tragedy, its commitment to freedom both home and abroad and the love we have for one another after such a grievous event. These statements are meant to appeal to the character of the nation, to both console it and inspire it. This serves to support Bush’s tones of hope and determination. On the other hand Bush also makes use of some instances of pathos, specifically when he describes the feelings we all had on September 11, remembering where we were, what we were doing and the memories we have. By making this appeal, Bush is validating the emotional experiences many Americans had as well as relating to them himself. Bush is attempting to demonstrate he understands how the ordinary American feels.

Tony Blair’s speech on September 11 differs in tone from Bush’s.

His tone is one of sympathy, characterized by sadness and compassion. Blair recognizes the need to work for a better future, but his speech emphasizes the great loss September 11 represented, though not in a sense of hopelessness, but rather grief at the loss of a great many people. This is exemplified by his story of speaking with the families of those who lost loved ones, as he describes the sadness and longing of all who were there.He shares his sympathy with the American people as well as the British families who lost loved ones in the attacks. Again, the tone is not one of hopelessness towards the future, as Blair specifically states out of this tragedy we must unite for a better future. But rather, the sympathetic tone is meant to convey the sadness that all was

feeling.

Blair relies mostly on pathos in this speech. While he does at one point of the speech encourage the people to aspire to lofty goals, perhaps appealing to ethos, most of the speech is dedicated to pathos. He does this by describing the pervasive feelings of sadness that many people were feeling, grieving lost loved ones or hoping they may yet be found. This serves to validate the feelings that many people were having and help serve as a healing process. Blair even goes so far as to state the helplessness he felt personally, echoing this sentiment that many others were likely feeling. Ultimately, Blair uses this device not to paint a bleak future but rather to unite people in their grieving, to emphasize our common humanity to work for a better future. This is a future that will be properly memorialize the dead in which our sadness and grieving will mean something.

Both of the speeches given by Bush and Blair were meant to console and embolden shocked and shattered nations. It is notable that neither speech makes any appeal to logos, as in the wake of a tragedy like September 11, logical arguments likely would not have been very effective in persuading the public to do much of anything. After such an emotionally stunning event, only appeals to emotion and character would be of any use. And while both used different tones, both speeches ultimately were aimed at uniting the people in a hope for a better future.