Rhetorical Analysis : Rhetorical Analysis Of Pearl Harbor

Roosevelt starts the speech stating what happened the day before with the attack Japan made on Pearl Harbor. Then he goes into how this could have happened because they had made peace with Japan and never expected it, therefor

In the Pearl Harbor speech, President Roosevelt used ethos to build his credibility with the American audience by stating: “As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.” In this part of the speech, he is building the trust of his audience by stating that he is the Chief of the Army and Navy and by saying that he has already taken matters in his hands to defend the nation. The passage shows that he is building trust by saying he is Chief of the Army and Navy and that he is doing everything in his power to protect his nation.

In "The Four Freedoms" speech, President Roosevelt describes the historical context in which the U.S. finds itself one year before the attack on Pearl Harbor, but describing that context is not the point of his speech. His point is to promote the "four freedoms" but he does not actually get to outlining the "four freedoms" until the very end of the speech. Consider his speech in connection with the "Our Freedoms and Rights" document and the information provided as historical background. Why does Roosevelt believe it is necessary to articulate a new set of American freedoms?

“A date which will live in infamy (Roosevelt).” There were three part to this attack, what lead to the attack, the actual attack and the aftermath. The world was at war and the United States didn’t want to get too involved until the attack happened. During the attack on Pearl Harbor the United States made the decision to join the War. The United States joining the war brought the most crucial years to follow along with the dropping of the atomic bomb. The attack on Pearl Harbor was the beginning of the a very long war that cost the lives of many people but brought a nation together.

In The American Journey, David Goldfield et al. state that “Americans in the 1930s wanted no part of another overseas war by a wide margin.” Americans were still recovering for the ramifications of World War I and feared our intervention in any foreign conflict. In the fall of 1941, their reluctance was still abounding even though Germany achieved many victories abroad, the British were toiling to save their empire and Japan’s monumental aggression towards China escalated. In fact, Goldfield et al. noted that, “President Roosevelt’s challenge was to lead the United States toward rearmament and support for Great Britain and China without alarming the public.” Unfortunately, the aftermaths of World War I had set the tone for World War II since many small new nations in Europe felt the upper hand of Germany, Japan, Italy and the Soviet Union. Furthermore, the United States was not highly regarded by these nations, especially Japan, whose nationalists felt that they were unjustly treated after World War I. As much as the United States was trying to remain neutral and President Roosevelt wanted Americans to stay out of World War I, the inevitable came to fruition when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Goldfield et al. indicated that, “Speaking to Congress the following day, Roosevelt proclaimed December 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy.” He asked for and got a declaration of war against Japan. Hitler and Mussolini declared war on the United States

However, Roosevelt’s support and vitality to the nation in the time of peril won him a third term in 1940, despite criticism by isolationists and the risky move to initiate the first peacetime draft in United States history. After receiving a very important letter from Winston Churchill concerning American aid and dreaming of an ingenious solution, Roosevelt called for America to become the “arsenal for democracy” (Goodwin 195), and emphasized the lend-lease program as an alternative to war. At the end of 1941, Congress was painfully slow to set up defense against the Axis, but FDR insightfully waited for the right moment. On December 7, the Japanese launched a massive surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and Roosevelt did exactly what the people wanted―he declared war on the Axis powers and ramped up war production. Through the progression of the war, Roosevelt was on good terms with Stalin, however he became fantastic friends with Churchill. Occasionally, Franklin took business trips around the country to the various auto manufacturers that had been converted to production lines for the war effort. He knew his visits boosted productivity as well as morale, so he enjoyed them, especially when workers shouted his name with glee. Late in 1942, civilian support for the war dropped with a decrease in morale. Franklin knew just the right move, and launched an invasion of North Africa that

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy . . .” These famous lines were spoken the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave this speech to the U.S. Congress on December 8, 1941. Many criticized the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, but the decision to attack America was wisely made. The Americans were going to enter the war sooner or later, and on the allies’ side. The attack on Pearl Harbor would hurt the United States’ strongest defense and kill many Americans. This was the first terrorist attack on the United States, by another country, which came as a total shock to many people.

One way he is able to inform the US is by using repetition when addressing the nation about Japan’s recent strikes. He emphasizes Japan’s motives of avoiding peace by using repetition to list the places they had attacked within a twenty-four hour time span. In the speech, Roosevelt says “last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong… Last night…”. He continues to name five other countries Japan had attacked, beginning with saying “last night”. His use of repetition helps support his rhetorical purpose by showing that justice needs to be done for the damage that was

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941’” began President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the day following Japan’s fateful attack on Pearl Harbor, resulting in the in the tragic loss of nearly two and a half thousand American lives. A date so famously proclaimed to ‘forever live in infamy,’ and so it has. This inspiring speech to Congress and the American people employed appeals and other techniques in it’s mission to touch America’s heart, both with sympathy and indignation. President Roosevelt’s use of rhetoric is extremely effective in rallying the American people to the cause of entering a war so many were reluctant to support.

The first rhetorical appeal that President Roosevelt uses in this speech is ethos. The ethos in Roosevelt’s speech is quite apparent. As the President of the United States, he is already viewed as a credible source for information. Roosevelt provides a significant number of details pertaining to the attack on Pearl Harbor and other attacks that the Japanese carried out in conjunction with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, further establishing his ethos as a good source of information. By sharing additional details about the events of December 7th, it lends credibility to what he was saying about the bombings of Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt also strengthens his ethos by flaunting his sizeable vocabulary, “[A] date which will live in infamy... / [A]t the solicitation of Japan... / [T]his premeditated invasion...” By Roosevelt’s determination to use these vigorous words, he is hinting at the fact that he is indubitably well educated, which adds to his credibility. Roosevelt also tells everyone,”As the commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have

“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” (1). These are the words Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose to begin his Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. FDR’s speech was a call to arms, and in his speech he expressed outrage towards Japan and confidence in inevitable triumph. The speech was a request to declare war against Japan and to bring the United States into World War II. FDR’s speech was successful in bringing the United States into World War II because FDR presented facts explaining why war needed to be declared and used righteous indignation

During this period, President Roosevelt endured extremely intense emotional pressure due to the loss of America’s prestige and pride in the Pacific. At the same time he was expected to honor the British who were struggling with Hitler. Notably, just before the Japanese Pearl Harbor attack had taken place, Roosevelt had agreed that the first priority should be a defeat of Nazi Germany. This should have been until America was able to recover from its Pearl Harbor naval forces and consequently mobilize for a two-front war. The decision made focused on accepting the Philippines loss, Guam and Wake and instead put plenty of concentration on a defensive kind of triangle that was inclusive of Panama, Alaska and Hawaii.

Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Address was most effective due to its incredibly short length and simplistic structure. His speech was concise and very easy to understand; he clarified the nation of the Japanese attack without haste or panic, and gradually went into greater detail of the ambush and its immediate effects. He used straightforward reasoning to build his credibility as he urged the people to maintain their faith during these

Steven Jobs speech was delivered in a blithesome way to the graduating class of 2005 at Stanford University, urging the audience of 1,732 Men and Women to live life as if every day was there last. He didn’t make as much eye contact as Franklin Roosevelt did in his speech. Franklin Roosevelts tone was more like Hammurabi’s code an eye for eye. Roosevelt was speaking in congress and it was also broadcasted on the news and radio all across American. His intentions were to get American to give japan what they asked for when they bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7,

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a day 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," delivered by Franklin D. Roosevelt is regarded as one of the most important speeches given in US History to date. The speech was delivered to the State of the Union marking the United States' entrance into the Second World War against Japan and Germany.