How it Breaks Down Sentences 1-4 Betrayed President.īeing attacked is not something that should be taken lightly, and if the American people were looking for a sign that this Pearl Harbor malarkey wasn't going to fly, a speech by President Roosevelt asking for a declaration of war definitely did the trick. And not just any speech by just any person off the street, but a Congressional address by a U.S. Nope, something like this deserves a speech.
DAY OF INFAMY SPEECH ANALYSIS SERIES
Nor does an op-ed piece in the Times or, if Twitter had existed, an indignant series of tweets. In times like these, a letter doesn't quite do the subject justice. had just been attacked, on its own soil, out of left field, by someone it had thought it was having peace chats with. In the case of FDR's Pearl Harbor speech, the context was this: the U.S. Speeches are as much about the words that are spoken as they are about the person speaking them and the context within which they're said. And FDR's speech definitely let everyone know exactly how he felt about that. In fact, it was kind of the exact opposite of an olive branch. The attack on Pearl Harbor wasn't the beginning of tensions between Japan and the U.S., but it wasn't exactly an olive branch, either. And once the rest of the country got past the shock of being sneak-attacked by a supposed friend, it didn't take long for everyone else to board the Angry Train as well.
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There's no question that this was one mad POTUS. He accuses Japan of making "false statements" and undertaking a "surprise offensive," both of which are big no-no's in Roosevelt's eyes (6 16). Those are angry words.įDR's ire is also made pretty obvious by the fact that he uses the word "deliberately" three times to describe Japan's sneaky treachery (and by the fact that he actually uses the word "treachery") (1 5 6 22).
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How do we know this? Well, our first clue is that he uses words like "unprovoked" and "dastardly." Those aren't neutral words. President Roosevelt isn't trying to logically take his audience through the events of the previous day or explain to them the rules of engagement he's trying to get people as steamed as he is about Japan's "unprovoked and dastardly attack" on U.S. Pathos as a rhetorical device is all about bringing on the feels. In this speech, all of that official-sounding title and address stuff just serves to add a big dollop of authority to the pathos pounding FDR is about to deliver. Those kinds of things usually mean we're in for some serious ethos.
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DAY OF INFAMY SPEECH ANALYSIS FULL
is called out by its full name of the United States of America. Right off the bat, it starts out with all these official-sounding titles and addresses, and the U.S. The groundwork was being laid for the tragic internment of Japanese Americans, thought a necessary caution at the time but regretted years later as a hysterical and bigoted response.When we first read this speech, we might be inclined to think it's maybe kind of ethos-y.
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Reports on supposed spy activity on the part of Japanese Americans began pouring into Washington, even as Japanese Americans paid for space in newspapers to declare unreservedly their loyalty to the United States. In California, antiaircraft batteries were set up on Long Beach and the Hollywood Hills. In New York, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia ordered the rounding up of Japanese nationals, who were transported to Ellis Island and held in custody indefinitely. On both coasts, civilian defense groups were mobilized. FDR signed the declaration at 4:10 p.m., wearing a black armband to symbolize mourning for those lost at Pearl Harbor. Within one hour, the president had his declaration of war, with only one dissenting vote, from a pacifist in the House. Roosevelt’s 10-minute speech, ending with an oath-“So help us God”-was greeted in the House by thunderous applause and stamping of feet. READ MORE: Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?