Rhetorical Analysis: A More Perfect Union

During the presidential election of 2008, Presidential candidate Barack Obama, delivered his speech “A More Perfect Union,” on March 18. He was dealing with the backlash of previous controversial statements made by his pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Videos of the reverend surfaced where he was seen saying that America deserved 9/11 because terrorism is spread throughout the country by its own citizens. As a result, Barack Obama had to re-establish his image in the minds of American citizens and the current undecided voters. He uses multiple literary devices to enhance his opinions on where the country is currently at, and how to move forward in the future.

Former Illinois senator Barack Obama wanted to showcase his pro American beliefs and

He addresses that the problems we face today were problems that were ignored in the past, and he quotes William Faulkner who states, “The past isn't dead and buried. In fact, it isn't even past.” (Page4) Senator Obama does not want us to continue to ignore them because if they continue to be overlooked, the problems will not improve. Throughout his speech he uses repetition of the word “more” to instill the idea of progression in America . Further into his speech, he talks about how we as a citizens must strive for a “more just, more equal, more free, more caring, more prosperous” country for our future generations (Page1). The repetition creates a feeling of unity within the audience, and almost works as a call to action for everyone to come together to improve as a whole. At this moment the crowd can see that he understands our values and beliefs as Americans and this sets the mood for the rest of the

The word hope was Obama’s propelling ideology. It was what he lived by and wanted to spread throughout the country. He feels that what we have already accomplished should give us hope. America has evolved so much since the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, and is still rapidly changing. Life is much more advanced, and although we still face issues, we are not defined by those issues. Obama uses hope to show that Americans should not give up on their dreams and continue to strive for success. America should appreciate where we are as a society, but not settle for our current state. As a country, we have proved we can solve issues and improve lives for all Americans. The fact that this country has a “system to where a citizen can be voted into office and build a coalition between all the walks of life that occupy it,” is a major achievement (Page6). Barack Obama, being an African American man, felt himself that he was not expected to make it to the highest office, but he did not let the opinions of others stop him from climbing on, and this is a reason why Barack Obama feels we should have the audacity to hope. This theme is relatable to everyone and