Rhetorical Analysis Of President Obama's Second Pregural Address

President Obama`s second inaugural address’ addresses an audience of middle class

Americans in order to assure these ones of their importance and to remind them that they are

not a forgotten people. Although the upper class is the wealthiest, they are the minority and can

not on their own support the entire country. Obama said in his speech “we, the people,

understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing

many barely make it”. America tends to focus on those who are either very rich or very poor, in

contrast these words aimed at reassuring those in the middle no doubt is refreshing

Understanding the different social and economic classes within the united states of america is

helpful for understanding why this

President Obama showed concern for

such ones when he said “And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the

marginalized, the victims of prejudice –- not out of mere charity”.

One reason Obama spoke with concern for those who are underprivileged could have been

because he himself was raised up in a similar situation. He most likely saw his friends and

family go through a similar situation and having this personal experience would be a motivation

to speak about it so passionately. Throughout his speech, President Obama highlighted the fact

that the issues facing the middle class were ones that any of us could be facing. Near the

middle of his speech Obama said “We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our

lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away

in a terrible storm.”

Obama speech was successful because he was clearly focused on a specific group of people

and he made his point very clear. His speech resonated with a variety of people as you