Challenger Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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Rhetorical Analysis of Reagan’s Challenger Speech Soon after launch on January 28th, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart and shattered the nation. The tragedy was on the hearts and minds of the nation and President Ronald Reagan. President Reagan addressed the county, commemorating the men and woman whose lives were lost and offering hope to Americans and future exploration. Reagan begins his speech by getting on the same level as the audience by showing empathy and attempting to remind us that this was the job of the crew. He proceeds with using his credibility to promise future space travel. Ultimately, his attempt to appeal to the audience’s emotions made his argument much stronger. Reagan effectively addresses the public about the tragedy while comforting, acknowledging, honoring and motivating his audience all in an effort to move the mood from grief to hope for future exploration. …show more content…

He states the following “Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.” Using the words “Nancy and I” and “We” make the speech personal and shows that he too is affected by the event. He offers his condolences to the families of the crew. "We mourn their loss as a nation together. The families of the seven, we cannot bear as you do the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss and we are thinking about you so very much." This quote is inclusive and provides a source of comfort to the audience. From here, Reagan will go on to explain how events like this are possible during

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