Rhetorical Analysis

For class, we had to write a rhetorical analysis of a speech. It was the only one I could remember doing, but I'm sure my high school English teachers haven't completely failed me. I feel like I’m learning so much more in the entry level writing couse than I have in my earlier education. I decided to analyze FDR’s speech to congress after the attack on Pearl Habor. Here’s the analysis. It still need revisions, but if you have any ideas, just leave a comment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calling America to Arms

Analysis of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s speech “Infamy”

            On the morning of December 7^th, 1941 at 7:48 AM, the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked without warning by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The base was attacked by a barrage of fighter planes, bombers, and torpedo planes damaging all eight of the United States Battleships currently stationed there, sinking four of them. There was a staggering number of casualties. There were 2,403 Americans deceased with another 1,178 Americans wounded from the treachery. This surprised everyone in the country, including the President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In his speech the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt persuades congress to declare war on the empire of Japan while at the same time, he calls young Americans to action. Through Roosevelt’s effective use of imagery, emotional wording, clever diction, repetition, and a little bit of logic he is able to pathetically persuade both congress and the citizens of the United States to come together against their new enemy after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

            In the beginning of the speech, Roosevelt alludes to the date of the attack and how it would forever be infamous. He effectively uses this imagery to set the tone for the rest of his speech. He said, “Dec. 7 1941 – a date which will live in infamy”. This sets a very serious tone with just that word alone. How different could the speech have been if he said “on this day, America will never be the same again” or “this day will remembered forever”. They wouldn’t have the same effect. Using good diction Roosevelt is able to capture the attention of his primary audience, while at the same time he is pathetically stirring up the emotions of everyone who is listening.

            Just like the word infamy, Roosevelt uses many other emotional words that keep the tone of his speech very serious and somber while at the same time, they stir up the emotions of people listening. He uses words such as solicitation, deliberately, onslaught, premeditated, and treachery to accomplish this. The same message could be delivered with any replacement of these emotional words, but the effect would not have been the same. Roosevelt uses these words in particular to paint a distasteful picture of the enemy. He uses them to exhibit the ruthlessness of Japan, and the danger presented by them. Using such emotional words amplifies his message and draws focus on how grave and dishonorable the sins of Japan really were.

Roosevelt effectively makes it known to his audience, through clever diction, that Japan, as a whole, was responsible for the attack and not just their military. He does this through various usage of the words Japan. He uses Japan in many different ways like “the Empire of Japan”, “Japanese forces”, “the Japanese”, and “the Japanese government”. By using such an extensive variety of a single word, Roosevelt makes it clear that there are many parts to the Japanese government involve. Furthermore, he makes it clear that none of the parts can be dismissed; that they all must be accountable as a whole.

            Roosevelt used repetition to increase the rhetorical effect during his speech.  When listing all the sins of Japan since the previous day, he listed them all out instead of grouping them together. Instead of using, “Last night…” and listing all of them together, he began each one with, “Last night” and then listed them individually. The rhetorical effect of separating them is so much greater than if he would have just listed them. The usage of repetition both strengthens his message, and draws more focus on certain words such as “Japan” and “attacked”. Those two words together created a summary of the entire speech itself, “Japan attacked”.

            Out of the three modes of persuasion, pathos has been the number one mode so far, but logic is also used in his a little in Roosevelt’s speech. The only piece of logic used is in the statement, “Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger”. At this point of the speech, Roosevelt has his audience so stirred up that they come to the realization that they are in danger. In combination with the facts presented before, it’s pretty hard for them not to see the logic in that statement. With this statement given toward the end of the speech, congress is left with passionate facts left by Roosevelt, a dire need for military action, and their own choice whether or not to go to war.

            Throughout his speech, there is a clear call-to-action presented by President Roosevelt. He addresses his secondary audience, the American people, through different words and phrases within his speech. “No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.” “I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.” These two segments from his speech declares this call to action by using words and phrases such as “the American people” and “ourselves”. During the speech, those listening, who were not members of congress, were also being stirred up in emotions through Roosevelt’s speech. They were probably at a point where they all would join the war, which is what a lot of young men did in that ere. A lot of young women also joined up arms from Roosevelt’s speech by becoming war nurses and mechanics for military equipment during war time. President Roosevelt calls strength to the people of the United States, and that it is time to defend the United States and many listen to him and join up arms against their new foes.

            Roosevelt’s speech is widely remembered, even today, and one of the greatest speeches given in the 20^th century. Through the use of imagery, emotional words, clever diction, repetition, and a little bit of logic, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt successfully convinced the United States congress to go to war with Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor, while at the same time he called young American’s to arms.