Summary Of Nothing To Fear By Axelrod

December 7, 1941 is a day that will live with us forever. On December 8, 1941, the next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave one of the most patriotic speeches this country has heard. He used several different rhetorical devices, Ethos, Pathos, Logos, to strengthen his argument.  His speech was an argument that was trying to get his fellow americans to stand up and fight for our freedom. He came across many groups of people who were totally against going to war but his speech was very logical and filled with emotion many of his fellow Americans backed his idea. Since, President Roosevelt had won over the majority of the americans he was able to get us ready to go to war and avenge Pearl Harbor. When the country is attacked, and

Another example of effective ethos can be found towards the end of his speech when Roosevelt told America, “I hope you can see, my friends, from this essential reticle of what your Government is doing that there is nothing complex, nothing radical in the process.” This summed up the knowledge he shared in the banking system and instilled a sense of integrity in the government. Throughout the chat Roosevelt used his knowledge to teach the American banking system and explained thoroughly what went wrong while using some of the most commonly words in the English dictionary, which appealed to a large audience that effectively established personal credibility.

President Roosevelt does a few specific things to be able to establish his credibility as a speaker.

The first inaugural address of Franklin D. Roosevelt was one that strove to lift the American people off their feet as the country entered some of it's worst years during the Great Depression. One of Roosevelt's strong advantages during his address was his ability to relate to the very real concerns of the everyday American citizens. With pressures of the failing economy facing the President-elect, he delivered this speech, addressing the nation about his plans for a New Deal. Roosevelt made his first point in his address by stating, “...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This statement later became one of the most famous Presidential lines in all of history. The purpose of this statement was to remind the nation that for this

Franklin Roosevelt became one of the most successful presidents in U.S. history due to the three character traits of optimism, perseverance, and leadership. Roosevelt's optimistic attitude gave Americans hope to keep fighting through the Great Depression and World War Two, were most Americans were ready to give up. Jean Smith presents this idea when he quotes Roosevelt in his Presidential Biography FDR writing, “This great Nation will endure as it has endured will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that only thing to fear is fear itself… The effect of the speech was electrifying, the praise all but unanimous. No one doubted that a new era had begun” (Smith 302-303). Franklin Roosevelt lit the fire back

Theodor Roosevelt, our 26th president, was a gruff politician who had a huge impact on America. He is known for his accomplishments in the political, social, and business world during the Progressive Era. His accomplishments helped shape America, and because of this influence, he is one of the faces found on Mount Rushmore.

“A date which will live in infamy” is a phrase most associated with this day. An unprovoked attack aimed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 left the nation vulnerable to various outside powers. Franklin Delano Roosevelt knew the vital importance of creating and leading a crusade, so his purpose in addressing the nation was to declare war against Japan and rally the support of the citizens of America. Until the devastating bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan had been considered an ally. Roosevelt’s speech was about bringing justice to the nation and being honest with the people about the terrible events that had just occurred. Roosevelt, serving as the thirty-second president of the United States, was in his second term when the attack happened.

By that year too, he seemed destined to leave the White House not in triumph but in defeat" (Maney 88)

In 1933 history was changed for the better. Nineteen thirty three was an era where people were left devastated by the lost of many essentials that people today would take for granted. Eighty four years ago in Washington D.C the 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, gave his first inauguration speech before later serving four additional years to his country. Many of people were awaiting to hear his words spoken loud and clear stating that change was imminent with the assistance of hard work and dedication. The president’s aspiration was clearly presented as he was there to help improve their situation with plans to make things better. The purpose of president Hoover’s speech was to appeal to many through the use of pathos and ethos accompanied by his use of well known rhetoric devices such as amplification.

Roosevelt grew up in a wealthy New York family, and was offered every opportunity of success. He took advantage of this and became educated at Harvard College and Columbia Law School; from here, he became an accomplished a successful career as a lawyer and politician. In August of 1921, he contracted Polio and became paralyzed from the waist down. Due to his extreme optimism that he gained throughout his privileged life, he used his Polio to this to his advantage when he ran for President by showing that he was part of a minority, the disabled, he became more relatable to the general public. He was seen as a man of action and without fear. This mentality was demonstrated during his inaugural address when he stated that “The

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) addressed the nation in a “fireside” chat on December 29, 1940 called “The Arsenal of Democracy” ("Franklin Delano"). It was one of twenty-eight fireside chats that Roosevelt would eventually give, but it would become known as one of his best speeches (Roosevelt xi). In this chat he again used the radio to talk to Americans in their homes, where it felt relaxed and informal, despite addressing a serious issue that our nation faced (Roosevelt xi). Roosevelt wanted to tell the people of the United States about the threat caused by the Axis powers’ assault on Great Britain. He felt that America had a responsibility to help Britain and in doing so maintain our national security. President Roosevelt took a strong stance on the need to support Britain and in his speech laid out a plan to build an “arsenal of democracy” in the United States that would protect our country as well as our allies ("Franklin Delano").

While in office Ronald Reagan had a disapproval rating that soared to 54% in 1983 (How the Presidents Stack Up). However, in 2001, his retrospective disapproval rating was a mere 27% (Newport). Often the focus of criticism while in office, Ronald Reagan has become known within the ranks of historians as one of the most influential American Presidents, ranking 10th in the Annual C-SPAN Survey of Presidential Leaders in 2009 (C-SPAN Survey of Presidential Leadership). Lauded as the “Great Communicator,” much has been said of Reagan and his oratorical skills, including his simplicity, clarity, and sincerity of speech (Thompson). While his speech at the Bradenburg Gate, with its famous line, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” has

The essay, “Nothing to Fear” by Alan Axelrod uses quotations from FDR’s “First Inaugural Address” shows that FDR dealt with fear well when it came to polio and applied it to the American people, and stated that FDR decided to put people to work and try to find a way to work through The Great Depression rather than ignoring the nation’s issues. Alan Axelrod accurately interprets FDR’s “First Inaugural Address” stating that he was a visionary leader who did not let fear cloud his vision of reality and supports his claims with sufficient evidence.

In the ex-president's speech, he refers to a few similar ideas assuming the reader has the same beliefs and opinions as he does. His use of enthymemes expertly displays a proficiency to convince others that his opinion is, and should be, the most accepted among citizens. Roosevelt only says the word, “liar,” once in his speech, even though that’s what the entire premise of his talk was about. Instead, he relies on the listeners to already understand that the there are liars out there in our world. He claims, “There are in the body politic, economic and social, many and grave evils.” The grave evils he is speaking about are referring to the lies spread and made by the high-ups in our government and social celebrity leaders. Using enthymemes,

When Franklin was diagnosed with polio, Eleanor and Franklin were terrified. They met the crisis with their individual kinds of courage (Scharf, 1987). Franklin managed to remain cheerful and optimistic despite growing pain and immobility (Scharf, 1987). Eleanor nursed him with compassion and devotion (Scharf, 1987). Doctors and friends marveled at Eleanor’s compassion (Scharf, 1987).