Rhetorical Analysis Of Pearl Harbor Speech

On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, at 7:55 AM the Japanese Empire led a surprise attack on the US Naval base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, that would leave millions of Americans in shock, and heartbroken. Before the attack, the United States kept a low profile on International affairs, and concentrated on the domestic affairs at hand. This tragic moment in American history forever remembered. It is a mournful day for the American people, although, for the Japanese Empire it was an honorable day, one they would call a

“December, 1941, a date which will live in infamy …. no matter how long it may take to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.” This famous quotation from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech was used to show that America is strong and nothing would stop America until it has absolute victory. In President Roosevelt's’ speech, he used ethos, pathos, and logos to show how Japan was a threat to America and to assure the nation that it can overcome any obstacles if the people work together.

The famous speech, Pearl Harbor address to the nation by Franklin D. Roosevelt (president at the time) shows us a vast amount of rhetorical appeals: Pathos, Ethos, and Logos to the nation. This speech announced to us that the intended audience and the persuasion used in order to change the peoples’ minds to defend our nation. The Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation speech was given to tell the U.S. that Japan has initiated war by attacking Oahu, Hawaii; while also attacking islands on the Pacific coast. Roosevelt addressed to the nation the stance we must take in order to protect ourselves from Japan and from attacks in the future. It was also revealed that Japan deliberately planned and attacked Hawaii do to the distance between each other. The Japanese ambush caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. It was then that America made a move to attack the Japanese Empire on December 8, 1941.

Hours after Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan, gaining worldwide headlines, giving millions unanswered questions, the speech, Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation was given one day after the event. On December 8th 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech to be remembered today, by using rhetorical devices and figurative language to strongly picture his message to the public, making great use of parallel structure, personification, parallelism, and climax ordering to enforce his key point of wanting Americans to stand up against the Japanese forces for the deliberate actions done towards there peaceful country, with no threat or hint of war or of an armed attack. With hopes of gathering support for the decision to declare war on Japan.

On December 7, 1941, tragety struck America when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. During the aftermath of this horror, America declaired war on Japan thus taking a side in world war two. Presedent Franklin Delano Roosevelt presented a speech the next day to inform the nation of his declaration of war on Japan as well as to inspire Americans in to suport the war. Roosevelt used rhetorical devices including repetition, his perspective, and personification to further his point.

The famous speech Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation by Franklin D. Roosevelt shows us a vast amount of rhetorical appeals: Pathos, Ethos, and Logos to the nation. The speech given by Franklin D. Roosevelt shows us the intended audience and the persuasion used in order to change the peoples’ minds to defend our nation. Let’s begin with the Pathos for this particular speech.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his war speech and asserted December 7, 1941 as, “a date which will live in infamy.” The United States’ naval bases stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii were struck by Japanese planes intentionally and promptly. The news of this attack on the Pearl Harbor shocked the world. It was devastating to the nation that were still in the throes of depression. Witnesses of this event painted a portrait of a nation stunned, but determined to rise again. The United States’ government had not disclosed a Pearl Harbor story to the public--that the U.S. had failed to act on advance information about a planned Japanese attack. Japan 's move against the United States was audacious enough to be considered no more than a slight possibility, although the potential for an attack had been widely discussed.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941’” began President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the day following Japan’s fateful attack on Pearl Harbor, resulting in the in the tragic loss of nearly two and a half thousand American lives. A date so famously proclaimed to ‘forever live in infamy,’ and so it has. This inspiring speech to Congress and the American people employed appeals and other techniques in it’s mission to touch America’s heart, both with sympathy and indignation. President Roosevelt’s use of rhetoric is extremely effective in rallying the American people to the cause of entering a war so many were reluctant to support.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan.” This was spoken by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his Address to the Nation on December 8th, 1941. During President Roosevelt’s speech, he used logical appeals (logos), emotional appeals (pathos), and credibility appeals (ethos). Even though President Roosevelt was sitting in a wheel chair during his speech, it was still considered formal because he was the President. The reason this speech took place was to inform the nation about what Japan had done to our country and also to declare war.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941- a date which will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan” (1). These are the words Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose to begin his Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. FDR’s speech was a call to arms, and in his speech he expressed outrage towards Japan and confidence in inevitable triumph. The speech was a request to declare war against Japan and to bring the United States into World War II. FDR’s speech was successful in bringing the United States into World War II because FDR presented facts explaining why war needed to be declared and used righteous indignation

He uses phrases such as, “Righteous might,” and “unprovoked and dastardly act,” to help make his audience feel something towards the bombing and therefore making them connected to what happened. Throughout his entire speech he uses vivid, emotional phrases for example “deliberately planned,” “suddenly and deliberately attacked,” and “this form of treachery. When he uses these phrases to get congress to feel that the attack was unjustified and that they should declare war on Japan. He also appeals to the logic of what has happened within the speech. He lists the other islands that Japan also attacked as a reason why they should take action against Japan. When he says, “There is no blinking at the blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interest are in grave danger,” he creates an obvious need to attack Japan in order to protect our country from other attacks. He also points out how the United States was in contact with Japan in the hours after the attack began and no hint of aggression was given. Another example is when he said “It will be recorded that the distance between Hawaii and Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

“December 7th, 1941 ¬¬ a date which will live in infamy” (Roosevelt 1). A day where hearts were broken, lives taken, massive destruction, and a man who reassured Americans through it all. Japanese air forces deliberately attacked the United States Territory of Hawaii (History.com Staff 1). This left Americans devastated. We lost many heroes on this day in history. After the attack, the betrayal of Japan angered many Americans, at this time America and Japan were at peace. America wanted to take action, this meant attacking Japan. Who was going to take care of the country after the events of this day? The President at the time Franklin Roosevelt, he was the man who reassured all Americans. He was not just a president, he was the United States caretaker. He not only wanted to declare war on Japan but he helped American people grieve. His love for his country was shown in this time of terror. He was not defeated by this historical event, his country was not defeated either.

Could you imagine being a kid in the 1940s? Sitting in your living room on a Sunday afternoon waiting by the radio to hear your favorite radio talk show host, but instead the President’s voice comes through the airways and announces a national state of emergency. How would you feel? How would you react? What would you do? As President Roosevelt delivered his speech he had two main points that he wanted to relay to the nation. The first point was to encourage Congress to formally declare war on Japan. Insisting that the attack was just a start to the many more to come. The second point was to gather the support of the American people; in the war efforts that he was proposing, President Franklin used major American cities such as San Francisco, Chicago, and New Orleans as examples to show the American people that if one United States territory could be attacked, so could their neighborhoods. Both points touched their intended audiences. Moments after the speech Congress approved the declaration of war on Japan. The news sent a shockwave across the country, resulting in a tremendous percentage of young volunteers into the U.S. recruiting offices across the nation.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan…It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.” (Senate Document No. 148) This speech would echo through history as the moment the United States officially entered the most costly five year period in all of human history. President Roosevelt continued stating multiple islands and American

By listing each individual attack, Roosevelt depicted the Japanese people as villains and monsters to assist in the unification of all American citizens, for his vilification united the U.S. population under one common enemy: Japan. Additionally, the president displayed numerous tones throughout his speech; his first line provided his audience with a solemn and grave attitude that they were expecting with the word “infamy”. Furthermore, as he progresses with the speech, he acknowledged the countless American lives lost, thus provoking the vindictive nature within all humans. However, the public at this time were in fear and shock of the recent attack. Roosevelt alleviated their sense of panic and defeat by reassuring that justice will be sought and the nation will recover from the tragic devastation with a strength in their impending war with the Japanese--he gave them optimism and hope of a new future in spite of the recent occurrences