John F Kennedy Ethos Appeal In Jfk Speech

628 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Contextual analysis of JFK's inaugural speech

On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy reached out to America and the Cubans with his Cuban Missile Crisis Address to the Nation. During this time, the Cold War had occupied several countries of world. This war resulted from tensions, military and political, between Russia and its allies and America, its allies, and the Western Hemisphere. When President Kennedy gave his speech, Russia had occupied Cuba and began building military bases that contained nuclear warheads and other deadly missiles. People of America saw this as a threat to the freedom of the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere. In a time of great tension and fear, President Kennedy delivered his spectacular and reassuring speech that appealed to the citizens of American in several ways.
Throughout his speech, President Kennedy utilized the ethos appeal. Being the President and citing important individuals and organizations gave him credibility. He “quote[d] their government, ‘the Soviet Union has so powerful rockets to carry …show more content…

He stated that if the Soviets execute a “hostile move anywhere in the world against the safety and freedom of peoples to whom we are committed, including in particular the brave people of West Berlin, [it] will be met by whatever action is needed” (source). Respectively, war was not the President’s first choice. President Kennedy declared that he himself and government officials “are prepared to discuss new proposals for the removal of tensions on both sides, including the possibilities of a genuinely independent Cuba, free to determine its own destiny” (source). During the Cuban Missile Crisis, America desired peace without war in the Western Hemisphere, but President Kennedy made it clear that the U.S. would fight for it if necessary. Throughout his address, President Kennedy utilized the logos appeal wonderfully to gain the trust of the American and Cuban

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis of Speech John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    “If a free society can not help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”(Kennedy, 1961) Statements such as these demonstrate how Kennedy appealed to the citizens by simply using reason. The use of logos in his speech was minimal compared to the use of pathos, and ethos.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Kennedy And John F. Kennedy's Second Inaugural Address

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kennedy was elected president in the year of 1961. Which was during the time that the Cold War was in full swing. The Cold War being the tension filled era between the superpowers in the east and the superpowers in the west. Contrary to the other two presidents, JFK was not speaking to the American public at the time of the war 's conclusion but right near the middle of the 40 plus year issue. Regardless he was assuring the public. He stated, “...that the torch has been passed to a new generation of American-”. That optimism cannot be matched. Even at the darkest of times could he stand up there, the president of the United States, and tell the young people of America that their time is now. Not only that but he attempts to inspire Americans when he says “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”, which was definitely a knock at the Russians. JFK overall had this persona about him. This was the speech where muttered that historic and uplifting quote, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.” His message of peace and coexisting really stand the test of

    Read More

  • The Legacy of John F. Kennedy

    1907 Words  | 4 Pages

    May, Ernest R. “John F Kennedy and the Cuban MIssile Crisis.” BBC News. BBC., 18 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • The Miracle on Ice: The US Hockey Team

    1091 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Soviet Union and the United States were very distant during three decades of a nuclear arms race. Even though the two nations never directly had a battle, the Cuban Missile Crisis, amongst other things, was a result of the tension. The missile crisis began in October of 1962, when an American spy plane secretly photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union in Cuba. JFK did not want the Soviet Union and Cuba to know that he had discovered the missiles, so he made his decisions very secretly. Eventually, Kennedy decided to place a ring of ships around Cuba and place missiles in Turkey. Eventually, both leaders superpowers realized the possibility of a nuclear war and agreed to a deal in which the Soviets would remove the missiles from Cuba if the US didn't invade Cuba. Even though the Soviets removed took their missiles out of Cuba and the US eventually taking their missiles out of Turkey, they (the Soviets) continued to build a more advanced military; the missile crisis was over, but the arms race was not.

    Read More

  • John Mccone In The Thirteen-Day Crisis

    1886 Words  | 4 Pages

    ... war between the two-superpower countries, the entire world could eventually avoid the deadly threat. From the beginning of the crisis, John McCone had held an important role of giving the President crucial information that could guide him into making the best decision in resolving the crisis. One major impact of the crisis was the realization by both United States and Soviet Union leaders that their decisions could eventually drag humanity into catastrophe, hence prompting them to take safety measures in preventing the future nuclear war from taking place. In the end, the settlement of the Cuban missile crisis was indeed United States major triumph and Kennedy’s policy of the nuclear brinkmanship provides a guidance on how to carefully manage future conflicts and best mediate conflicting interests of the countries involved without necessarily resorting to war.

    Read More

  • Thirteen Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis

    693 Words  | 2 Pages

    Robert F. Kennedy's chilling account of his experiences with his brother, President John F. Kennedy over thirteen days in October of 1962 give an idea to the reader of just how alarmingly close our country came to nuclear war. Kennedy sums up the Cuban Missile Crisis as "a confrontation between two atomic nations...which brought the world to the abyss of nuclear destruction and the end of mankind."1 The author's purpose for writing this memoir seems to be to give readers an idea of the danger confronted during the Cuban Missile Crisis and to reflect on the lessons we should learn from it as a country, and for future members of government.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of John Kennedy's Inaugural Address

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the main reason of his sermon is to inspire rather than educate, Kennedy rarely uses any logical pleads. Yet, Kennedy adequately uses passionate dialect to make the people sense their involvement in what all the President says. Kennedy composes the assignment to bring back tranquility and good-wealth as not only his aim, but of the public as well. With famed verses like, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” Kennedy makes the spectators feel inclined to make an impact in the world they live. Apart from infusing a sense of obligation in the crowd, Kennedy’s greatest element in his speech was the aptitude to arouse a feeling of esteem in the audience. Kennedy constantly uses phrases about freedom and sovereignty to remind the people they still are. “The heirs of that first revolution.” This dialect portrays America as a powerful and patriarch republic that possesses greater philanthropy of all the other nations around the world. Even though much of the address is fervent in tone, Kennedy devotes a large section of his topic to outline his ethos to all inhabitants of the world. JFK introduced the use of ethos at the inception of his address. Kennedy was very young when he came into office, but he was still obliged to act at the same status as former presidents. Attentive to this condition, Kennedy

    Read More

  • The Role of John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis

    1743 Words  | 4 Pages

    Perhaps the most critical moment that had occurred to the United States and the world of the last century is the Cuban Missile Crisis. The significance of this event was that it had brought the world to the closest it could ever be to a nuclear war. Millions of lives, cultures and infrastructure would have been lost if it was not splendidly dealt with. Yet, a man was able to prevent this devastation, and he was none other than President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) of the United States. How was he significant to the event? This research paper will discuss it with the points that are based on JFK’s characteristics. Hence, to provide an overview of this paper; the outbreak of nuclear warfare was prevented in the Cuban Missile Crisis specifically by John F. Kennedy’s many distinguished characteristics.

    Read More

  • Four Freedoms Speech And Kennedy's Inaugural Address

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his Inaugural Address he said, that he would bear any burden, pay any price, and the hardship, to oppose any foe and success of liberty(Kennedy.5). This meant that he was to do as much as he possibly could to ensure and spread freedom around the world. Because European countries wanted a communist country which was to have all of your property owned not by you but everyone. Since there was no freedom or constitution Kennedy’s wasn’t going to approve of this idea. President Kennedy also stated, “...those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.” (Kennedy.8). He stated something very powerful with how the Nuclear attacks were occurring then that he said, that people who want power and use force will be destroyed before he can control

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Speech

    418 Words  | 1 Pages

    In this article, Atkinson discusses the rhetorical strategies John F. Kennedy used in this inaugural speech. He explains Kennedy’s “wordcraft” and how it invoked emotion from Kennedy’s audience. For example, Atkinson describes how Kennedy used imagery, alliteration and contrast to capture the audience’s attention. “The fact that so much of the speech is still remembered around the world 50 years later is a measure of Kennedy's success in knowing exactly what he wanted to say, how best to say it and, perhaps most important of all, to whom he should say it” (Atkinson). The author really analyzes in depth John F. Kennedy’s speech. He describes all the components in which made the speech memorable.

    Read More

  • Why Is Ted Kennedy's Ethos Used In Jfk Speech

    1933 Words  | 4 Pages

    He used ethos to have an emotional appeal to his audience, as well as identifying what the audience finds important. He shows he may not share similar life experiences, but he is able to find common values and attitudes with the audience. Kennedy uses this to set up a unified Democratic party to defeat the Republicans. He is working to put the party on a path to greatness, although the Democrats would lose the election, Ted Kennedy’s ability to connect with the audience was the real winner. This speech matters because Mr. Kennedy had the platform to voice problems that were present in the political and National arena. I believe this was a tremendous speech that used effective rhetoric to connect on a National stage to attempt to defeat an opponent. Ted Kennedy shows that anything can be done through

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of We Choose To Go To The Moon

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout his speech he uses ethos to achieve trust in order to gain Americas belief, the second paragraph emphasizes his approach by putting him in a professors shoes when he says, “I appreciate your president having made me an honorable visiting professor. He also uses ethos when he refers to what William Bradford, an English separatist leader agreeing with his philosophy “all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both enterprised and overcome with answerable courage”. Underlining that with patients and togetherness people could overcome their difficulties. Lastly using ethos Kennedy lists how man has improved their quality of living “man emerged from his caves to construct other kinds of shelter”. This quote is a known fact letting the audience understand his knowledge proving his theory that great advances can be made such as sending an aircraft to the moon. With the known prior knowledge he can further gain the audiences trust and reassure them to support NASA with sending the aircraft to the

    Read More

  • The Cuban Missile Crisis

    1916 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Cuban Missile Crisis was a major event in U.S History that almost led to nuclear destruction. It was over a period of thirteen days in which diplomats from the U.S and the Soviet Union were trying to reach a peaceful resolution so that they wouldn’t have to engage in physical warfare. The crisis was the hallmark of the Cold War era which lasted from the 1950’s to the late 1980’s. The Cold War was a power struggle between the U.S and Soviet Union in which the two nations had a massive arms race to become the strongest military force. The U.S considered Communism to be an opposing political entity, and therefore branded them as enemies. Khrushchev’s antagonistic view of Americans also played a big role in the conflict. The Cold War tensions, coupled with a political shift in Cuba eventually lead to the military struggle known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the point of most tension and near collapse causing the Cold War to almost shift from a passive and underground struggle to a violent and catastrophic one.

    Read More

  • John F Kennedy Jfk Inaugural Address Analysis

    609 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kennedy's inaugural address was ground-breaking, downright world-changing. Signaling the beginning of the new age in America and its direction in external procedures, a more peaceful approach to the Cold War skirmish with the Soviet Union over the future of the world. He shared his interest and the significance of the global issues. Speaking at the height of the cold war, he sought to establish with the Soviet’s that America did not want a "hot war" but an honest cease-fire. Not a bloodbath, but consultations and collaboration, these were his actions to pursuing an attempt to end cold war pressures once and for

    Read More

  • Cuban Missile Crisis Rhetorical Devices

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    On October 22nd, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered the famous "Cuban Missile Crisis Address to the Nation" speech in response to Nikita Khrushchev’s act of placing nuclear and flying missiles on the island directly south of the United States: Cuba. The purpose of the speech was to alert the nation of the situation and inform them on how it would be handled. This speech successfully won the attention and respect of the American and Russian people through the use of multiple rhetorical devices.

    Read More

More about John F Kennedy Ethos Appeal In Jfk Speech

Open Document