of the US government and Americans who are concerned about the wellbeing of their country. During the speech Roosevelt reaches his purpose of justifying his call to war and unifying the nation. He does this by using the rhetorical device of anaphora to exhibit the multiple and purposeful attacks Japan made, then unifying language to create common ground, and lastly pathos to compel the audience to agree with his opinions. In the beginning of his speech Roosevelt uses anaphora, the repetition of the same phrase in the beginning of a sentence.
He lists off the recent of attacks by Japan by stating, “Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island” (Roosevelt ). Through the repeating of the phrase “last night, the Japanese attacked…” Roosevelt creates a sense of urgency and seriousness, and makes it extremely clear who is at fault. By reiterating the idea that the attacks were simultaneous and purposeful, he appeals to pathos, making his audience of American citizens feel anger and fear towards their new enemy. The repetition of the words also demonizes Japan and makes the enemy and intent clear, the time for action is now. Since the reader can easily identify Japan's aggressive and voluntary attacks, the justification of declaring war on them is evident. The use of anaphora demonstrates the necessity of retribution. Roosevelt discloses that Japan should and will not decamp of penalty. This, along with his confident and stern tone is enough to make the American citizens believe in his decision to declare war but also see that it is
inevitable. Throughout Roosevelt’s speech he uses the rhetorical choice of unifying language. He does this in order to relate to his audience and bring them together as a nation. He repeatedly displays phrases such as “the people of the united states” (Roosevelt) and unifying words such as “We… Us… Our…” (Roosevelt) . This appeals to nationalism, making his audience feel pride in their country. Roosevelt is well aware of the abundance of patriotism his nation holds and uses this to his advantage. By referring to his audience and himself concurrently, the listener is forced to recognize the common feeling America has towards Japan, spawning a sense of togetherness. When mentioning the hostility present in the world he declares “There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger” (Roosevelt). He makes it unarguable that his opinions and ideas are mutual, concluding that going to war would not only be beneficial to him as the President, but the country as a whole. By using this unifying language he also makes his audience feel as if they had some part in the decision to declare war, which motivates them even more. This rhetorical choice helps the bilateral concept of war seem fundamental to America's prosperity. Lastly, Franklin use of pathos in his speech supports his purpose. “Very many American lives have been lost” (Roosevelt). By mentioning the deaths of soldiers, the audience cannot help but to feel sympathy. And once the audience can recognize the physical and emotional distress Japan has put on America, they can easily become revengeful. And by mentioning the possibility of death, fear is handily struck in the the audience. When addressing the future for the country Roosevelt states “No matter how long it takes us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory” (Roosevelt).This creates confidence in the audience and makes them feel reassured. Having faith, hope, and trust, is is necessary to succeed. His confident and tone shows his audience that they have no chance of losing the war under his leadership. The Pearl Harbor attacks inevitably caused distress in America. Citizens were unaware if their safety, as well as their country's safety, was under control. In his speech, Roosevelt helped to settle the nerves.The use of anaphora, unifying language, and pathos in help to not only discuss the Japanese attacks, but also create common ground between the writer and reader. He pinpoints America's new enemy, justifies his call for war, and most importantly unifies the country. Pearl Harbor represents a turning point in American history. After the catastrophe, US security, militia, domestic unity, and government surveillance dramatically improved (Tampa Bay Time).