preview

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama's Speech

Decent Essays

The 44th president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, in his speech, his 2009 inauguration, describes his plans for his term in office, as well as his belief that if we follow the ideals of our founding fathers, that we will be able to accomplish anything. Obama’s purpose is to explain to the American people that with the right ideas, we can do anything as a country. He adopts a patriotic tone in order to draw pride from his fellow Americans. Obama pulls Fear, calls upon Pathos, and uses Patriotism to get support from the nation in allowing his changes.
Towards the beginning of his speech, Obama speaks about the failing economy of the United States, while also reminding the people about the war that we have been fighting for years. He recognizes that many people push wars out of their heads, and makes it a point to show the America what we are facing as we see in this paragraph, “That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. “ (5). He uses fear to focus on …show more content…

He calls on Patriotism by starting off with “My fellow citizens: . . . “(1) showing a connection he has and a connection we all share through our nation. He also says “For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip, and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn, “(10) to show what others have given for this country. Obama uses Patriotism in order to bring forth a sense of pride in Americans, and have a call to

Get Access