Margaret Thatcher's Eulogy To Ronald Reagan By Margaret Reagan

There are often figureheads in history that garner intense prominence and distinction from their peers, not solely due to their policies or political leanings, but rather, for their disposition and everlasting influence; Reagan and Thatcher, two controversial yet legendary Western political powerhouses of the 1980’s, perfectly define this prestige. Margaret Thatcher’s eulogy to Ronald Reagan, written from the view of a close friend and not just as a diplomat, pulled at the heartstrings of not just Americans, but the whole globe, in 2004 to commemorate one of her closest companions and his unprecedented stratagems as the 40th President of the United States. In this sentimental and sincere eulogy, Thatcher recounts the achievements of Reagan’s
In order to invoke authentic emotion and a sense of credibility from her global, most likely mourning, audience, Thatcher implements her genuine perspective and regards throughout the beginning of her tribute to Reagan. From the very start, Thatcher captivates her worldwide audience and displays her authentic sentiments about Ronald Reagan through exercising simple yet meaningful repetition in, “[w]e have lost a great president, a great American, and a great man” (1-2). In doing so, Thatcher builds a sense of reliability and genuineness with her international audience which later helps them relate with her sentiments and line of reasoning regarding Ronald Reagan; her choice in the straightforward yet significant adjective “great” allows Thatcher to connect with a larger audience since it is a rather uncomplicated word in the English language that many non-native speakers may understand. Furthermore, since Thatcher is an influential speaker, considering she was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the fact she implements “we” humanizes and creates sincerity regarding Thatcher to her universal audience who may consider themselves to be rather different and perhaps not in the same boat as her regarding Reagan’s death, allowing them to deem her as a trustworthy source and listen to the rest of her eulogy. Later within
Through this, Thatcher romanticizes Reagan’s death to an extent, since many may disagree with her notions as to what being American truly is, but she also displays her fervor and respect for Reagan to her universal audience who may dissent from her views. With this appeal to patriotism, Thatcher is also able to gain trust with her American audience and allow them to follow her judgement so that they may determine themselves how influential Reagan was in America’s history -allowing them to reflect on his impact. The last line of Thatcher’s eulogy to Reagan is terse yet precise enough to truly leave an impression with her vast audience; Thatcher states, “[Reagan] and [the American people] loved America and what it stands for: freedom and opportunity for ordinary people,” (96-98). With yet another appeal to patriotism, Thatcher fertilizes the seed within her international audiences’ brains regarding Reagan’s evergreen influence with her substantial emotional claim that Reagan basically embodied America as it is. Through this, Thatcher is able to display her true attitude regarding Ronald Reagan and also her final thought