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Seth Golie Lynn Taylor English 1010 17 March 2014 Rhetorical Analysis: FDR Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation "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.(FDR). A surprise attack, an attack that occurred when the United States was least expecting it. On December 8th, 1941, one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered a speech to the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives, and to the American people asking for a declaration of war against Japan. The attack on the Hawaiian Islands was a shock to everyone, especially because the Japanese had appeared to be cooperating previously.
The country had been divided about the prospect of joining the war before this attack happened but afterwards it proved to have actually united our nation and brought the people together and made us stronger in the end. This speech was very compelling because it had strong emotional appeals

using pathos, great organization, and the establishment of ethos throughout the entire speech. At 7:55 am the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began. (Parker). The first wave of Japanese planes arrived to find the base virtually defenseless. By the end of the second wave of planes two hours later, 21 American ships had been sunk or damaged. Almost the entire U.S.

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Pacific Fleet had been lost in the attack. Out of 353 Japanese planes, only 29 were shot down by American missiles. There were 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed and 1,178 were wounded (Krimsky). The Japanese had two immediate goals for attacking Pearl Harbor. The first was destruction of American aircraft carriers known to be in the area. The second goal was to sink as many other capital ships as possible, especially battleships. The Japanese hoped to neutralize the American fleets ability to project air and sea power in the pacif ic for at least six months. The American public was in shock and disbelief upon hearing about the attack. As the shock turned into anger and outrage, Americas leaders acted quickly. This address by FDR before Congress is known as one of the most important and renowned political speeches to ever be delivered in our country. Roosevelts speech was perfect in accomplishing the goals he wanted, in just over thirty minutes after the conclusion of the speech; Congress had declared war on Japan, with only one dissenting vote in the House. Our country at this time had been divided about the possibility of getting ourselves into the war in Europe and Asia, claiming it was not our concern. However, Roosevelts speech was so impressive that even the anti-war isolationists changed their view and actually became pro war. The purpose of Roosevelts Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation was to educate the nation on what had happened and to justify his reasons for declaring war on the Japanese Empire. Roosevelt appeals to the audience using his credibility, or ethos. He does this in two ways. First he does it in an unspoken fashion. Roosevelt chooses a Joint Session of Congress as the venue for his speech. This builds credibility with his audience. Joint Sessions are reserved for only the most significant events. The President of the United States is almost always the

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reason for a Joint Session. The audience immediately knows that he is credible because of this venue. Second he points out his authority to congress and the nation when he states, Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and House of Representatives, as commander in chief of the Army and Navy. This is important because it demonstrates ethos and shows that he is qualified to make the decision to declare war on the Japanese Empire. This title reassures the American people of his confidence that we would achieve victory. After saying that he has already ordered that "all measures be taken for our defense," he says that "with confidence in our armed forces, with unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God." If the highest ranking military official believes we will be victorious, the people have no reason to think otherwise. During his speech Roosevelt uses pathos to appeal to the audiences emotion. The audience will feel a sense of betrayal when he makes the statemen t the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. Also by him saying that many American lives have been lost, the audience will feel great sorrow for the American people that died. President Roosevelt also uses logos when he points out the distance of Hawaii from Japan. This makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many weeks earlier. Roosevelt wanted everybody to know that Japan had been planning this attack for many months, further enraging American citizens. As FDR speaks, he uses formal language to reinforce his position and the fact that he knows what he's doing. FDR doesn't sugar-coat anything or beat around the bush. He just states things how they are. An example of this is when he says The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian

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islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. He keeps the speech focused and just shares the reality of the situation. This formality establishes his credibility and makes him sound like someone who should be listened to. One rhetorical device that President Roosevelt uses throughout his speech is anaphora. He uses the repetition of one or more words at the head of consecutive phrases a couple of times. Roosevelt makes his speech hit home and very personal when he says our people, our territory, and our interests. Roosevelt uses it again when he repeats the words Last night several times. The word deliberately is also repeated throughout the speech as well. Roosevelt uses repetition throughout his speech to show the American people how significant this day was, and how it will never be forgotten. President Roosevelt had been known for years as being a great speaker and he displayed that perfectly with this speech. The speech only lasted about seven minutes, it was only 25 sentences and was less than 500 words but with the power FDR spoke with and the meaning in his words that was all the longer it needed to be to be extremely effective. Americans had been divided about many issues at this time but joining the war was one of the main issues they had been divided on. However, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, as tragic as it was, that and this amazing speech actually brought our nation together possibly stronger than ever before in our history. It definitely will always be a day that lives in infamy in the hearts of all Americans.

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Works Cited "Attack at Pearl Harbor, 1941," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (1997). Web. Department of Defense. 50th Anniversary of World War II Commemorative Committee. Pearl Harbor: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Chronicle, "A Grateful Nation Remembers" 1941-1991. Washington: The Committee, 1991. Web. Krimsky, George. FDRs Words Helped Inspire A Nation After Attack. Republican American. (Waterbury, CT). 7 Dec 2010. NewsBank. Web. Parker, Henry. A Date Which Will Live in Infamy. St. Petersburg Times. 4 Dec 1991. Pg. 24-36. Section 3. NewsBank. Web.