Pearl Harbor

President Roosevelt used pathos when he gave his speech to the American people after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This was a very emotional time for America because it involved war and the want for peace. Lives were lost in the attack and that evoked an emotional response. The people killed at Pearl Harbor were not relatives of everyone, but our nation as a whole has an emotional bond that connects everyone together. President Roosevelt used this emotion to his advantage and explained why America needed to enter the war, "...a formal reply to a recent American message... contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack".

President Roosevelt wanted to enter the war previously to the Pearl Harbor attack. "He wanted to prevent war in Europe, and in October 1937, Roosevelt proposed that the United States lead the "peace loving nations" in placing aggressive nations... under quarantine". But Roosevelt's idea "raised a storm of criticism". (Smitha par. 1) Roosevelt was passionate and knew the direction he wanted to take. He just needed to convince the American people.

President Roosevelt used specific words and phrases to bring his point across. "the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned..." (par. 5), "Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States." (par. 5), "severe damage" (par. 6), and "the facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves." (par. 13), were convincing in Roosevelt's speech and made Americans emotionally respond to the Japanese.

Roosevelt also had a very good logos appeal and used many facts to connect the idea of Japanese attacking other countries, to why America should enter the war. He listed the places Japan had attacked and concluded that the Japanese undertook "...a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area." (par. 13). President Roosevelt went on to say that he would defend our nation by going to war.

In 'Writing and Rhetoric' it says that "...a message that is primarily emotional is more persuasive than a message that is primarily logical." (Gary Hatch, page 65) The next paragraph in the Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation was President Roosevelt's best pathos appeal. He said, "The American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory." (par. 15). Roosevelt used pathos because winning comes with a lot of emotion. Roosevelt said the United States will to go war in "righteous might", so the purpose is just and the opponent is in the wrong.

His speech came all together to the main issue of going to war, and destroyed any possible thought of losing because America will have an "absolute victory". I believe that because of Roosevelt's convincing use of pathos, Americans had such a strong response to the Pearl Harbor attack that it not only led to the United States entering the war, but also to the dropping of the atomic bombs.