Rhetorical Analysis Of West Point Speech

For as long as I can remember, I feel as though I have been raised in a military environment. At a very young age my parents taught me to value discipline, manners, and to show and treat people with respect. In addition to these ‘staples’ of my upbringing, excelling in academics and on the athletic fields was where I further grew as a leader and learned to work with others to further distinguish myself from my peers. I knew based on my priorities and values that I was different from others by not only the way I carried myself but how I spoke to my peers and elders and the respect that I commanded. Perhaps those values were aided by both my grandfather’s serving in the military and my uncle attending West Point, a graduate of the class of

On May 12, 1962, General Douglas MacArthur addressed the cadets at the West Point Military Academy in his speech Duty, Honor, Country, during the reception for the Sylvanus Thayer Award. This award is given to an “…outstanding citizen of the United States whose service and accomplishments in the national interest exemplify personal devotion to the ideals expressed in the West Point motto, duty, honor, country.” As the one receiving this prestigious award, General MacArthur truly exemplified these values as he had acquired the rank of General of the Armed Forces while serving in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Within the speech Duty, Honor, Country, MacArthur utilizes logos, pathos, and ethos in order to appeal to the cadets

In this paper I am going to discuss the rhetorical appeals, as well as the argumentative structure, audience and purpose set forth by George W. Bush in his September 27 speech in Flagstaff, Arizona. More specifically I will refer to the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos and logos, and explain how they are used to gain the support and attention of the audience and further the further the purpose of the speech. As I explain these appeals I will also give an insight into the argumentative structure and why it is apparent in this particular speech.

Admiral William H. Mcraven addressed the 2014 graduating class at the University of Austin, Texas with more than eight thousand students in attendance. Adm. Mcraven’s address touched the hearts of millions all around the world with his inspirational message of how one person can change the world by following a simple set of rules. I chose this speech for my rhetorical analysis because of the important message it portrays, by how helping a few can eventually help many. Adm. Mcraven’s address was especially effective for his audience, much due to how he relates to the students by reminiscing of the day he graduated from UT while providing advice to his audience of college graduates preparing to begin their adult lives.

Every day, thousands of speeches are given. Some of those speeches are long and drawn out while others are created in the heat of the moment. But, regardless of its content, there is a huge difference between a run of the mill speech and a great one. That difference being its relevance, memorability, and honesty. Admiral William H. McRaven accomplished each of those components in his “10 lessons” commencement speech given at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. During his speech, Admiral McRaven detailed his time in basic SEAL training and referenced the 10 life lessons that he learned from it. He then ends the speech with a call to action that is met with a tremendous ovation from the crowd. With that reaction, it was clear that

MacArthur was born on an Army base in Little Rock, Arkansas, on January 26, 1880, into a family with military history. When he was born his Dad was a captain , and had been decorated for his service in the Union Army during the Civil War. His Mom's brothers fought for the south during the civil war. The base where he was born was just the first of several military post which he lived as a kid. In 1893 his family moved to San Antonio, Texas, and he attended the West Texas Military Academy. After high school, he enrolled in the military academy at West Point, where he excelled, and in 1903 he graduated with honors. After graduation, MacArthur was commissioned as a junior officer in the Army Corps of Engineers.

“I think one of the most important lessons we teach in JROTC is importance of service. And not just military service, but service… giving back to our school, our city, our community, our state our country, that’s given so much for us”

In the essay, “What You Eat is Your Business”, Radley Balko writes to tell his audience about how the government is trying to control people’s health and eating habits by restricting food, taxing high calorie food, and considering menu labeling. Balko includes in his essay that government restricting diets and having socialist insurance is not helping the obesity problem, but it is only making it worse because it not allowing people to take their health in to their own hands so they have no drive to lose weight or eat healthy. In his essay, Balko is targeting society, including those who may be obese, he is trying to show them that the laws our

Many people in today’s society tend to believe that a good education is the fastest way to move up the ladder in their chosen. People believe that those who seek further education at a college or university are more intelligent. Indeed, a college education is a basic requirement for many white collar, and some blue collar, jobs. In an effort to persuade his audience that intelligence cannot be measured by the amount of education a person has Mike Rose wrote an article entitled “Blue Collar Brilliance”. The article that appeared in the American Scholar, a quarterly literary magazine of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, established in 1932. The American Scholar audience includes, Company’s , Employees,

For a united nation to prosper, its people must overcome obstacles and take on numerous responsibilities. Throughout our lives, there are problems occurring continually in our world related to war and combat. During these times of hardship, we must remind ourselves to persevere and continue to defend the country. In addressing the Sylvanus Thayer Award on May 12, 1962, at the city of West Point, New York, General Douglas MacArthur urged Americans to remember the major responsibilities we have as Americans in his speech Duty, Honor, Country. With a position of authority, MacArthur powerfully stated that America will only survive through winning wars and fulfilling our duties. His main priority was to defend the nation, respect the nation,

Mark henan: We have any military veterans in the audience today? At ease all that “rucus”, what do you think this is? college? Greetings to chairman Davis. President Jackson. Members of the board and trustees. Family ,friends, and my fellow graduates. May I share, may I share, my story in an essay format. After high school I went to college for one term and quit. Joined the army and 20 years later I found myself in the final stages to deploy to Iraq. Unfortunately, I was injured. My team with whom I had a bond forged in steel went to Iraq without me, but not everyone retuned. They sacrificed their dream so that we could dream big. And today I speak for those who no longer have a voice. As the story goes my injuries left me immobile and I couldn’t

Douglas MacArthur was a US soldier, born in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. The son of a Union army hero during the Civil War (they are the only father and son to win the Congressional Medal of Honor) and a mother ambitious for his success, he trained at West Point (1903), rose steadily in the army, and demonstrated his bravado on a secret mission to Mexico (1914). In World War 1 he commanded a brigade in combat in France (1918), where he earned a reputation for bravery (wounded three times) as well as foppery - he carried a muffler and a riding crop into the line, but not a helmet or a gas mask. After serving as the superintendent of West Point (1919–22), he completed his second tour of duty in the Philippines.

In 1941, President Roosevelt recruited him to return to his duty in the US army and he was appointed as the Commander of US Army Forces in the Far East to defend Philippine against the Japanese attacks. He was unable to protect Philippines and he was directed to escape to Australia, where he became the supreme commander of Southwest Pacific theatre. Unhappy with his defeat in the Philippines, he began to plan his counterattacks towards Japan and slowly took over all of New Guinea, the Admiralties, western New Britain, and Morotai. Japanese surrendered in 1945 and he was sent to Japan to occupy it until 1951. The Korean War broke out in 1950 and he was appointed as the supreme commander of the Allied Powers. However, in 1951, President Truman and General Macarthur had conflicting policies for Korea and the President relieved him from his duties. In April 1951, he gave his farewell speech to the Congress (Gale Research).

My first visit to the Naval Academy was on family trip while in grammar school. On this and subsequent visits, the young men and women who chose to devote their lives to country and service greatly impressed me. As a high school student, I had the good fortune to experience Academy life via my acceptance to the competitive Summer STEM program, my invitation to Candidate Visit Weekend, and my participation in the Elite Throws Sports Camp. Through these first-hand experiences, I grew in awareness and commitment to an Academy education as an opportunity to enable me to serve my country. Moreover, I am honored to be a member of a gold star family, via my uncle Senior Master Sergeant Peter Bondi, recently deceased on active duty, and to have had a grandfather who served in the National Guard. Eulogies delivered for my Uncle Peter reflected a life of service and were a source of inspiration that fueled my resolve to serve.

Born November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, General George Smith Patton, Jr. was one of the most complicated, yet greatest leaders in military history. On June 11, 1909, he attended the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) for a year and then to the United States Military Academy at West Point where he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 15th cavalry Regiment. Growing up, Patton’s ultimate life goal was to become a hero and a successful leader. In Robert B. Williamson’s book, “General Patton’s Principles for Life & Leadership”, the author takes a personal account of Patton’s principles which he lived and fought for. These main principles consisted of the following: Leadership,