Rhetorical Analysis Of The Eulogy Of President Obama

Remarks by President Obama at the eulogy for the honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney; A man who was killed when an another man rushed into a church in South Carolina and killed 9 people while they were immersed in an afternoon mass. President Obama created different appeals and feelings through the use of different Rhetorical Devices such as Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. The use of logos ethos and pathos help the president convey his central idea which is to ensure the people of South Carolina and the people of the United States that not only are they safe, but they will unite to take this opportunity to create a more united U.S. This will happen through the establishment of new gun reforms.
Through the use of Logos, President is able to create

He verbalizes in lines 35-37 this by making known that “[Pinckney] conducted himself quietly, and kindly, and diligently. [Pinckney] encouraged progress not by pushing his ideas alone, but by seeking out your ideas partnering with you to make things happen.” This exemplifies how we must move with grace and move with the power to achieve a common goal. He does this to signal the ones who knew Pinckney to continue in his ideologies to discover another side of the world that is ridden of hatred. A second way Obama uses rhetorical appeal towards ethos is when he states in lines 54-55 the names of the people who have passed in this horrific event “Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethal Lance, DePayne Middleton Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel L. Simmons Sr., Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Myra Thompson” He does this to remind the people viewing the eulogy that these people have been lost and this eulogy is about all of them not just Reverend Clamenta Pinckney. We must abide for a better and renewed the US that will stand united to show the people of hatred that we are not scared to unite and we will no longer discriminate based on any physical differences. Furthermore, Obama states in lines 6-7 how the Reverend was “ A man who believed in things not seen. A man who believed there were better days ahead, off in the distance. A man of service who preserved, knowing

Specifically, when Obama says in lines “Removing the flag from this state 's capital would not be an act of political correctness. It would do no harm, it would simply be an acknowledgement that the cause for which they fought the cause of slavery was wrong.” This serves as to say actions always have a deeper meaning and that you can 't always please everyone but you must take an effort to correct and make up for past mistakes. Obama does this to remind the South Carolina people of this harsh time and they were able to perceive and create a stronger country. Another way he uses pathos is when he remarks how “The whole week [President Obama] reflected on the idea of grace, the grace reverend Pinckney would preach about in his sermons. The grace described in one of {President Obamas] favorite hymnals- the one we all know” he continues to go on and sing amazing grace. This shows the reader how Reverend Pinckney’s sermons were with such connections to the hierarchy that they were almost a god given gift that was sent from the heavens to bring everyone together just like the song “Amazing Grace” which is known throughout the world. Obama also uses all theses quotes to show how he has taken the time to relate to the ideologies and beliefs of the Reverend as well as to show to these people attending this funeral and to the people watching it across the country that he is