How Does Roosevelt's Use Of Language?

Language is a power in and of itself; it is a fundamental part of life, and it is the way we express our innermost thoughts. Language can be a force of power, or it can be a force undermining power, it all depends on the way one uses language. Take Adolf Hitler and President Franklin Roosevelt: both men were impressive orators, but the way in which they used language exerted their power other the people of their nations. Adolf Hitler, using powerful language and persuasion, created an empire of hate and disillusionment. His charismatic character and attention to fear tactics won the favor of millions of Germans and led to their brainwashing. Hitler’s language brewed hate, but President Roosevelt’s created appeasement. Roosevelt used his comforting
character and strong sense of language to allay the fears of the American people during the Great Depression in his fireside chats. Roosevelt used the informal radio to speak to his people about his plan of action in facing the economic depression, and in doing so created a sense of forward-looking optimism in the American people. One can gain power over others through language, but language can also act as a counter-power to negativity and oppression. Language at its very core is meant to be a means to communicate with others. The perversion of language though, through rhetoric and hostility, can be used to assert the dominance of one person over another. Throughout history, the oppression of people is attributed to a multitude of factors, a main one being language. In the simplest way possible, language can be used to make a person feel worthless, just through the way one speaks. The expression of oneself can completely undermine a person; make them feel insignificant or unintelligent, because the use of words unknown to one person can completely throw off their sense of ability and intelligence. This gives power to the linguistically knowledgeable person in the conversation, and diminishes the authority of the person rendered powerless by the very exchange between the two. Similarly, having an absolute control on language brings one authority, because being able to persuasively state an argument or talk your out of a difficulty ensures that you will never be in a situation that renders you submissive to another. The use of language can also create a barrier between people, as seen in the use of racial slurs.
These slurs lend power to the one using the word, and demoralize and demotivate the person receiving the word. The application of words commonly used centuries ago creates an awkward atmosphere today, because the stigma behind these slurs makes the use of them uncomfortable. One controversy in the literary community is the use of the n-word in Huckleberry Finn, as it can create unnecessary tensions in the classroom. Some students would prefer not using the word, because they “have a problem with it,” and it brings up a history “that nobody wants to relive.” (Source C) As a student, I think that one should not be subject to uncomfortable language in the classroom; but in Huckleberry Finn, the context in which Twain uses the n-word is historical, and his use of it when writing the novel did not have the “preemptive force today that it did.” (Source D) Therefore, the n-word in my opinion, should stay in the novel, as Twain’s use of the word is meant to “educate children” and the censorship of the word is “designed to appease adults” rather than inform American children of the race relations during the nineteenth century (Source
B). Even though racial slurs and deprecating language can be used to assert power, language with positive connotations can be used to undermine oppressive slurs. The gravity of language can only be effective if one gives power to any particular word, and by rendering a word useless, one can take back the meaning of the word. ‘Taking back a word’ has become a modern movement of sorts, as many disenfranchised groups have been recently reclaiming slanderous language, and making it their own. One determined woman, Andi Zeisler, sought to reclaim the word used to describe strong, uncompromising women: the b-word. Zeisler co-founded a feminist magazine, Bitch Magazine, in order to repurpose the word and make it act as a compliment for being an outspoken woman. Zeisler wrote that the magazine, given its title and content, is “not about hating men but about elevating women.” By taking away the context of the b-word, and rebranding it as a compliment, Zeisler is empowering herself, and using language in a positive way to undermine misogynists. Zeisler took a word “used to signify worthlessness or degradation and rendered it impotent.” (Source F) Words certainly lend power to the one using them, but those on the reciprocating side can determine whether or not the word impacts them. Language is a powerful tool to obtain, and acquiring this tool has the ability to make one a powerful person. By using language that you know will unsettle another, you are taking away their power and giving yourself more. But if one makes that language negligible, you take the power away from the word, and the person using the word.