Preview

Rhetorical Analysis Of Reagan's Ethos Pathos Logos

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
698 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Rhetorical Analysis Of Reagan's Ethos Pathos Logos
Reagan uses an appeal to basic needs when he aims at the need for security, using abstract language to elicit a strong response. In paragraph 26, Reagan declares, “When action is required to preserve our national security, we will act,” this offers hope to the audience with the nation’s protection. He reminds the audience he will meet this need, and promises a better future.
Reagan also appeals to basic values of freedom and progress when he motivates the audience that the economic problems will go away, by reminding them that America has continuously overcame difficulties. He declares in paragraph 8, “They will go away because we as Americans have the capacity now, as we’ve had in the past, to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this last and greatest bastion of
…show more content…
He states in paragraph 29, “At the end of this open mall are those shrines to the giants on whose shoulders we stand;” Reagan then provides a graphic description of the founding fathers. The appeal is relevant to Reagan’s value of progress, creating an emotional reaction by reminding the audience of their shared history.
Reagan uses appeals to religion when he mentions prayer and God, appealing to the religious audience. In paragraph 28, he says, “We are a nation under God… if on each inaugural day in future years it should be declared a day of prayer,” this statement uses religious dogma to gain support for Reagan. He draws on audience faith to motivate them to follow his plans.
The appeal to myth appears in Reagan’s graphic description of a hero larger than life, reminding the audience of the truth of being American. Paragraph 30 states, “… George Washington, father of our country… led America out of revolutionary victory into infant nationhood,” elaborating on this hero who, in textbook page 190, is “a model for action.” The reference to Washington is serious to the viewers, mainly with the rhetoric at the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The context of this speech is that on January 18, 1986 the Challenger Shuttle exploded seventy-three seconds into flight. Aboard this aircraft was Christina McAuliffe, the first teacher in Space, who served as an inspiration for school kids nationwide. The speaker of this speech is Ronald Reagan, the President at the time, and his audience is the citizens of the United States. During his speech, Reagan creates a sense of unity and also expresses his feelings of grief. The purpose of each is to convince the Nation that he is a fellow American and to show the value he holds for human life. In order to achieve the impression that Reagan is a fellow American he takes on the persona of a sensitive family man who feels for the loss of his country.…

    • 315 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The tenth chapter, “Jacksonian Democracy, 1820-1840”, provides an introduction to the rise of American democracy and the age of Jackson. Towards the beginning of the chapter, the textbook highlights an image by John McRae titled “Father, I can Not Tell a Lie: I Cut the Tree”. The image depicts a fictional story of a younger version of George Washington confessing to his father about cutting one of his cherry trees after receiving a hatchet as a gift. The image illustrates Mason Locke’s, an Anglican minister, book called The Life of Washington that conveys Washington’s trustworthy personality that holds high moral standards. I loved the way this illustration depicts Washington’s values at such an early age, this point is emphasized through the hand clasp shared between Washington and his father as a symbol of trust.…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reagan goes on to ensure the families that the astronauts were brave and courageous, therefore their mission was not in vain and that the missions will continue. By addressing the youth in his speech, he hopes to encourage them because ultimately they would be the next generation of workers. His tone is effective to convince the nation that it is necessary to continue with the space program. Throughout his speech, he empathizes with those affected by the tragedy, acknowledges the losses, and encourages everyone that they will move past this and look into the future.…

    • 213 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Doing Reagan 1984 reelection campaign he wanted his approach to be a “calm, statesmanlike approach, forget the one-liners and the applause lines-calmly lay out our case” (Noonan 144). He also quoted “Let’s give them our specifics, really give them chapter and verse. Our program is a success, while we didn’t get what we wanted completely from Congress its working and it’s taking hold. And we can demonstrate that with figures” (Noonan 144). Another issue that the president wanted to bring was Social Security, he thought that” Social security is not part of the deficit; it's funded entirely by its own fund, and if you reduced benefits, we never would but if you reduced benefits, that saved money would simply revert to the social security trust fund” (Noonan…

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 1984 presidential election of Ronald Reagan brought upon numerous exceptional and dubious policies to the U.S. economy. A considerable lot of these approaches, including Reaganomics still influence our economy in general and are still significant points of open deliberations today.…

    • 1502 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The State of the Union addressed by Ronald Regan was an uplifting speech. Mr. Regan gave this speech to inform people what was going on in the united states by giving good information and positivity to the people. Mr. Regan said that too much government isn't good by referring to Iao-tzu, a Chinese philosopher, "Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish, don't overdo it," you don't want a burned fish, or a bad government, do you? He also talked about how he wants to "take down land barriers. "…

    • 219 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Our fortieth president, Ronald Reagan, spoke eloquently for many years on many different subjects and on the eve of March 4, 1987 he put on one of the finest performances of his life. Despite having just admitted to his administration knowingly circumventing the Congress and trading arms for hostages, he persuaded the American people to believe that he was genuinely sorry for his subordinates actions, and honestly seeking to reorganize and fix the issues that had caused this problem by “taking action in three basic areas: personnel, national security policy, and the process for making sure that the system works.” Through effective use of logos and ethos Reagan was able to rebound from what people would call a blunder and become one of the…

    • 130 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Another significant factor of Ronald Reagan’s first, few months in office was his firm, forceful opposition to communism. Reagan’s administration also created a policy called the “Reagan Doctrine” that aimed to reduce the influence of the…

    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Another event that shook the foundation of the revolutionary generation was the retirement of the most important and one of the only figures in American history in 1796, George Washington. The overwhelming sadness that resonated in the political as well as the local and residential atmosphere was soon outweighed by the desire to continue improving the country and bettering it for future generations, which helps us to understand exactly how strong the willpower of the revolutionary era was. A sporadic friendship, the collaboration between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams is another example of how the relationships between the “fathers of the country” endured throughout controversy and confrontation and prevailed until the end of life itself. Ellis writes a beautiful…

    • 3449 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security did not rest upon the threat of instant U.S. retaliation to deter a Soviet attack, that we could intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil or that of our allies?” (Address 5). On March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan presented his vision of a future with a Nation’s security that did not rest upon the threat of a nuclear retaliation, but on the ability to protect and defend against such attacks. Ronald Reagan broadcasted his idea on upgrading the military's defensive tactics on television. Reagan was giving people hope and safety from a nuclear war. He shared his idea…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ever since his first election to public office in 1970, Reagan’s ability to draw listeners into his worldview has been prime research fodder for rhetoricians and political scientists. Every president, by virtue of his position, sets the news agenda, but few are able to affect the public’s vision much less re-cast the national ideology. Before Reagan, the last significant ideological realignment in American politics took place during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Democratic president, elected in 1932, enacted a “New Deal” that upended longstanding political, economic and religiocultural presumptions. Between the 1870s and the 1920s, a dominant worldview biased toward business solutions, limited government and a Calvinist-inflected rectitude on social issues and morality had…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Regan makes a suggestion he states “There is no better way to establish hope for the future than to enlighten young minds, and we would be honored to sponsor summer youth exchanges, cultural events, and other programs for you young berliners from the east” (American Rhetoric Speech 5). To have the to ends parts come together would be a journey accomplished from years ago. Reagan states “This wall will fall. Beliefs become reality”(AmericanRhetoric Speech 6). Giving this speech at the brandenburg gate made a big impact on what would happen if the gate would be tore down and how freedom would arise. He states that this would change…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On January 20, 1981, newly elected President Ronald Reagan addressed the issue of economic affliction of great proportions in the United States. He described the situation as one of the worst sustained inflations in the history of the country. According to Reagan, this happened as a result of frequent public spending, with no regard for the future. Thus, tremendous social, cultural, political, and economic upheavals were to come. To fix this, Reagan proposed that they must begin acting as soon as possible. His main philosophy was that government itself was the problem, and it was hindering the progress of citizens across the country. As a result, he made it the administration’s objective to create a healthy, growing economy that provided equal…

    • 314 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Among Mr. Reagan’s most devoted followers, an entire mythology has developed. Theirs is what might be called the triumphal school of interpretation: the president spoke, the Soviets quaked, the wall came down.…

    • 1517 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays