A Rhetorical Analysis Of George W. Bush's Speech After 9/11

Words: 917
Pages: 4
Open Document
This speech was given by George W. Bush after the September 11th attacks. It was given only a little over a week after the attacks. During this time Americans were still reeling from the shock of the attacks and looking to their government for, not only answers, but also guidance. In response, then President George Bush and his staff prepared this speech using Glittering Generalities, Dichotomy, and Pathos to convince the American people and their allies to stand together in supporting their retaliatory actions.
At the very beginning of his speech, Bush addressed his “fellow Americans,” stating his intended audience quite obviously. However, toward the middle of his speech, Bush asked for “every nation to join us.” This implied that the speech was directed to the American people as well as to the rest of the world.
After catastrophes, when individuals are frantic and unsure, many country’s leaders wish to establish a common goal to unify their people and ensure that they are working together and supporting the government’s goals. Throughout his speech, Bush emphasized unity and togetherness within America and around the world. He encouraged cooperation with government agencies, encouraged other nations to support America, and discouraged individuals from singling out members of the Muslim religion. In his words near …show more content…
Glittering Generalities are words that are so vague that they lose almost all meaning. After 9/11 individuals were confused and looking for answers. They wanted to know who had attacked them and why. However, at this point, Bush didn’t have much to tell them. Instead, early in the speech, Bush used vague statements such as “enemies of freedom,” to describe to the American people who had attacked them. He then continued to bombard them with words such as “fascism” and “Nazism” to give the audience something with which to associate the enemy when they thought of or discussed
Show More

Related Documents: A Rhetorical Analysis Of George W. Bush's Speech After 9/11

Bill Clinton Essay

overhauled the state's education system, and served as Chair of the National Governors Association. Clinton was elected president in 1992, defeating incumbent George H. W. Bush. Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history, and signed into law the North American Free Trade Agreement. After failing to pass national health care reform, the Democratic House was ousted when the Republican Party won control of the Congress in 1994 for the first time in…

Words 8036 - Pages 33