John F Kennedy's Ethos In Jfk Inaugural Address

The purpose of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address is to unite the people of America and to outline the plan for his presidency. Kennedy establishes his purpose by emphasizing the importance of a united country through word choice and listing pledges. The author establishes ethos in his speech and employs antithesis, repetition, and an allusion in his address to aid him in fulfilling his purpose.
Kennedy immediately establishes ethos in his speech, starting with when he speaks about the founding fathers and upholding their beliefs. This inclusion shows that Kennedy will not be a tyrant, and that he believes in a democratic America. This soothes any fear that Americans might have had during the Cold War and assures that America will not be a communist dictatorship. Kennedy also establishes ethos when he states, “For I have sworn before you and
Kennedy repeats “We” throughout his speech, which creates unity throughout the audience. This aids in his purpose because Kennedy wants the people of America to unite under his presidency. Kennedy also repeats “To” and follows it with identifying a certain audience and a pledge of America. He does not just list the pledge in one sentence, he expounds upon it. The expounding and the repetition of “To” allows the audience to feel that Kennedy has a real and detailed plan for many different problems which eases their minds about his upcoming term. Kennedy also repeats the phrase “Let both sides”, the repetition stresses the imperativeness of the other side cooperating and sends the message that America and Russia do not have to be fighting against each other, they can be working together. The aspect of working together comes from the usage of the word both, it’s a shared trait and is not accusatory. This aids Kennedy in detailing his plan with dealing with Russia, which will be an important part of his