Ronald Reagan Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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June 12th, 1987, upon a podium directed at a vast crowd of West Germans, and speakers targeted over the rigged-explosive and barbed-wire bound fence to East Germany, President Ronald Reagan’s voice pierced the air with cries for liberation from the tyranny of the Soviet regime. Standing in the midst of fluttering American and German flags, and armed with a lone microphone, his remarks at Brandenburg Gate were a commemorative attempt to obtain freedom, and abolish the evils that plagued the nation of Germany. Equipped with careful diction, varied tones of voice, and strong figurative language Reagan is able to become a steeple of strength and confidence for the West German quest for destruction of the Berlin Wall. The path to understanding …show more content…

He reasons that he came to Germany to perform not only the duties of his job, but also the duties of a tourist; indeed, he came to witness “the feeling of history” and “the beauty of the Grunewald and the Tiergarten” for himself. By establishing the fact that Reagan partakes in common practices, his tone brings about the realization that he is a normal human being to the audience. The manner in which he addresses his listeners, as friends do, gives the German public a sense of unity; as a result; they allow Reagan an entryway into the festering wounds that they continue to endure. Once an accepted companion, he takes his role as a leader once more, and thusly transitions his tone regarding the Soviet antagonists. Protective to the ears of allies, unwelcoming to the enemies, President Reagan makes a bold proclamation directed toward the East: “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev…tear down this wall!” Spoken firmly, forcefully, and challengingly, Reagan is pulling the trigger of determination, and it is aimed at Gorbachev’s

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