Critical Introduction

Hey! Thanks for visiting our blog. We’re five English 101S students at the University of Maryland and have been studying rhetoric for the past two months. Our main discourse is media from the 1960’s. We attempt to see a creator’s works from multiple angles of attack and ultimately attempt to find out what an author is truly trying to say in his/her works. For this blog we are studying JFK’s 1960’s Cuban Missile Address and George W. Bush’s 9/11 Address. Both of these speeches were made after/during an imminent danger that threatened the safety of American citizens. America was in a dark time during both of these eras, but likewise it was perhaps also a time where words could really stand out and make a difference.

We chose these texts because of their innate exigence. During the 1960’s the Americas were under great tension against the USSR. The Russians were able to take over Cuba and plant their own nuclear weapons on its soil. Had their control of Cuba been allowed, it would have meant giving them the ability to launch missiles to a large part of the Americas. John F. Kennedy’s immediate response to this crisis was crucial for informing the American people, protecting the livelihoods of the Cubans, and likewise preventing an all-out nuclear war. Similarly, Bush’s speech was made soon after the terrorist attacks by Al-Qaida on America. Many lives were lost as planes were crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a failed attempt on the White House. Bush had a similar duty to raise American morale and to detail a course of action to mend America and prevent such an event from happening ever again. Both of these events happened during tense times in America, both requiring leaders that had great skill in orating and were able to mediate the situation effectively.

Our blog logically goes through rhetorical arguments of these texts, starting with audience and then analyzing ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos. As we have already discussed, both texts are very timely as they are in direct response to an unpredicted and unprecedented events. This is also why we put heavy emphasis on the background and history leading up to these events, so the reader understands the weight and urgency of each situation. Because both of these men are presidents, logos is already established as they are both incredibly powerful men who have the responsibility to address and lead the nation in times of uncertainty. Because these are professionals with professionally written speeches being broadcast to hundreds of millions of people, the reader can realize that they carry great prestige and that their words should be listened to and believed. Pathos however is the strongest of their appeals as both men talk about the possibility and the tragic reality of losing lives. They both rely on values of patriotism, humanitarianism, loss and peace to rally the American people in the defense of their homeland. With our analysis of them discussing such harrowing and emotionally charged topics, the reader learns about the power of emotional persuasion prevalent in speeches that seek to stir a nation.

As you start to explore our blog and discover the elements we have highlighted in the speeches, you may take note of the all these ranging components and observe how they mesh together to build a larger, more meaningful picture of the time. Both the Cuban Missile Crisis and September 11th are still framed in American society as traumatic events. Uncertainty, doubt, and hysteria ran free and significantly impacted people’s perceptions at the time, leading us to concentrate on the pathos expressed in both speeches. Hopefully looking through this blog provided some insight on critical points in American history!