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Ashley Schoonover Ben Henderson LA101H 29 February 2012 Rhetoric of Roosevelt December 7, 1941, the day that will live in infamy, sparked one of the most memorable speeches of World War II, and caused the entrance of the United States into the battle. On December 8, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the nation in a very eloquent and saddened way. He used the emotions and the kairos of the moment to make the speech more effective, and to show the people living in the United States that they would not let those men lose their lives for nothing. He also captured the pathos within his speech, appealing to the emotions of the Americans because of the events that had transpired. These moments came to a peak during his address to the nation, in which he requested that the United States formally declare war on Japan. Franklin D. Roosevelts address to the nation on December 8, 1941 brought all of the events that had transpired the day before together and used them to enter America into World War II. Roosevelt, like all of the other people of the nation, had been shocked by the recent situation. After all, the Japanese ambassador was unable to deliver a letter to the Americans until an hour after the bombing began, and as he said, it contained no hint of war or armed attack, (Roosevelt). The Japanese military created a disaster in the American nation, and brought about the exigence which caused the president to stand before Congress. By doing so, the president caught the kairos of the moment and shaped it into his declaration before the nation. As he spoke, he told the nation of the things that Japan had done since the bombing, including their

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attacks on Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Midway Island (which became a major battle a few years later). Roosevelt then proceeded to tell the citizens that he knew about the opinions that they had because of this attack. After all, the attack on Pearl Harbor the day before was a complete shock to the entire country, and he had made similar opinions as a result. By waiting to get more information about the other attacks in the Pacific, and to learn more about what had happened in Hawaii the day before, Roosevelt was able to make his argument more solid. It would have been ample excuse to say that the United States should attack Japanese forces and declare war simply due to the number of American soldiers they had killed the day before, but he also informed the public of acts that the Japanese military committed the day before. By using the situation to his advantage, Roosevelt was able to give congress and the citizens of his nation more reason to declare war. While the president was speaking, he engaged his audience. He knew that they well understand the implications of the safety of the country if they had already been attacked. He created an argument with this, practically asking why we should wait for another attack. This one phrase was enough to solidify the resolution to declare war, even if the attack had not been enough. He regretted telling his viewers that so many people died as a result of the attack, and that he also had to tell them of the torpedoed ships that were attacked in American waters. He did not refrain from telling the citizens that he was surprised by the attack as well. He boldly stated what the American people were thinking, that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger (Roosevelt). He spoke truthfully, and made it easy for people to relate to the feelings that he had. It was exceptionally effective, as they were probably having either the same

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or similar thoughts, wondering how safe the country was now that a nation that had claimed to be an ally had so blatantly betrayed their trust. His trust broken by Japan, he appealed to the citizens emotionally to understand his reasoning for the war declaration. Throughout his speech, he appealed to the pathos of the viewers, especially because it was contextually emotionally charged. His regret to inform the American citizens of the casualties underscored his sadness at the tragedy that unfolded and the helplessness that many people felt when they found out. He mirrored their disbelief and their pain, saying that they were deceived by words of peace when there were ulterior motives hidden behind Japans front. His somber attitude seeped into his words and into the hearts of the audience, especially when he said that always will our nation remember, (Roosevelt). As the citizens watched, he transformed it, one declarative statement after another, into an appeal to Congress and to the American people. The sadness turned to determination, to a will stronger than steel that declared that we as a nation should defend ourselves and make sure that we are not again in danger of such attacks. He had confidence, and declared that we would triumph because of the unbounding determination of our soldiers, of congress, and of our citizens (Roosevelt). He knew that we now harbored hostility toward the Japanese government and the Japanese army, and he knew that as such, there was no possibility of peace between the two countries. His determination and his strong emotions against the Japanese empire, enhanced by his description of their attack as unprovoked and dastardly, helped the citizens, who were sad and angry, to stand behind his decision to go to war. He decided that this war was inevitable, since the acts of the Japanese nation were unable to be overlooked. Not only did America need to defend itself, but we also needed to ensure peace within the Pacific. He depicted the attacks that Japan had already taken, hinting that there would

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be more if America did not do something about it. This decision, while also very involved with the attack on Pearl Harbor the day before, was also made because Japanese forces were beginning to expand throughout the Pacific region. He asked Congress to allow the declaration to be passed to make war official. Roosevelt reminded them that since the attack that Sunday, the state of war was already in existence, but that there still needed to be an official declaration. He ensured the American people that we would be victorious after capturing their emotions. Appealing to their pathos, he also made a statement about the exigence, capturing the kairos by explicitly speaking of the actions of Japan and the reason to enter the war. He knew that America, with our confidence and our determination, would gain the inevitable triumphso help us God (Roosevelt).

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Works Cited Franklin Delano Roosevelt- Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation. American Rhetoric. Web. 24 Feb 2012. <http://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrpearlharbor.