Franklin D. Roosevelt: Speech
At the beginning of the speech, Roosevelt states that "the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Why does he use passive wording, focussing on the object being attacked upon (America) rather than attacker (Japan)?
In this speech, there are many allusions to the idea that this incident will be remembered in American history. Find as many as you can.
- The attack as an historical moment // "a date that will live on in infamy" etc.
A common rhetorical device in this speech is appeal to patriotism - an emotional appeal to the audience’s love of country. The implication of this form of appeal is that the fellow Americans are treasonous if they choose not to support the message of the speech, in this case, support war with Japan.
- Find examples of how the speech appeals to the Americans’ sense of patriotism.
Another type of rhetorical device is that of the Holy War - an attempt to convince the audience that God is on the side of the speaker or writer, and that failure to side with the speaker’s or writer’s argument will be the equivalent of blasphemy.
- Find examples of how the speech uses the Holy War device.
- In what sense do the appeals to patriotism and holy war mark a challenge against the isolationist movement, who were against American participation in World War II?
Although both are call-to-arms speeches, Churchill’s "Blood, Sweat, Toil and Tears" speach and Roosevelt’s "Date that will live on in infamy" speech are quite different in form and thematic focus. Based on your analyses of the two speeches, give a description of the most important differences.
