Rhetorical Analysis Of Ronald Reagan's Speech

History is filled with stories of world changing triumphs and unlikely victories. But entangled with these tales of success is tragedy and loss. As humans push themselves to explore and discover more of what is out there, mistakes and disasters are inevitable. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, changed the views of women as aviators forever, and won many awards, as well as the recognition of the public eye. She set several other aviation records, only to tragically disappear during her attempt to fly around the world. The very first explorer to circumnavigate the world, Ferdinand Magellan, did not even survive the journey back home. But his trip was legendary and changed the worldview of his time. The deaths of these celebrated individuals are examples of how catastrophe often accompanies the advancement of humanity. On the January 28, 1986, the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded less than two minutes into flight, leading to the death of seven crew members. Ronald Reagan is clearly aware of the pattern of loss and exploration when he addresses the tragedy. The purpose of Reagan’s address is to express condolences for those lost, and to prompt citizens to
Compassion is one of the most important emotions to get across in this situation. Before stating the names of those who were lost, he says “we mourn seven heroes” as a nation. Calling the men and women heroes shows their huge importance to America. It conveys how catastrophic he knows this is. He continues to be extremely complimentary of the crew, saying how they had that “special grace, that special spirit” that allowed them to be so fantastic in their work. He is upset about the accident, and knows the rest of America is scared and upset too, so he acknowledges those emotions. His sympathy is out in the open here. Appeals to emotion are a huge component in him conveying his