Rhetoric Analysis Essay of the Four Freedoms Speech

Rhetoric Analysis Essay of the Four Freedoms Speech

An action of convincing 133.4 million audiences is considered as a daunting task. This is especially when the audience must be convinced of joining a war less than thirty years after World War 1. President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the state of the Union On January 6, 1941, which began his third term as the President of the United States. The speech was broadcasted on radio across the United States and was further aimed at sparking the idea of Joining World War II, before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech on the state of the Union Address is often recognized as the “Four Freedoms” speech. Franklin further uses nationalism themes, diction, repetition, metaphors, and illocutionary phrases to convey and impact the audience.

Throughout his speech, Franklin articulated a predominant vision for the world, in which, every individual would have the freedom of worshipping God in their specific ways, freedom of speech and expression, and freedom from fear and want (Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century – American Rhetoric, 2020). This speech helps in changing the world to be a better place. The words of the speech were preserved in marble on Roosevelt Island in New York at Four Freedoms Park. The speech is further visualized in Norman Rockwell’s paintings. Besides, the International Freedoms Awards have been inspired by the words of the speech. Also, the speech has been in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The document was adopted in 1948 by the United Nations

Moreover, in the speech, Franklin is in full support of the English against their dictator’s attackers and further tries to extinguish democracy in the entire world. In regard to achieving democracy, he proposed the four freedoms, which America has invested in its protection around the globe. These freedoms involved the freedom of religion and speech, freedom of want and of fear. However, in the ‘Four Freedom Speech,” Franklin Delano Roosevelt inspired nationalism. In this case, he created fear among his audience by using metaphors and repetitions while convincing them to join the ravaging war in Europe.

Nonetheless, throughout Franklin’s speech, he makes use of nationalism themes, which are conveyed through his repetition, metaphor, and diction. For instance, he uses his ten paragraphs to compare American situations in their history. In this case, he makes the current situation appear very urgent and extreme by which it alerts every citizen to make a move against the new threat. He further uses the ‘We” word concept while addressing his audience, thus making them feel accommodated as Americans.

Additionally, Franklin also makes use of metaphors. In this case, he gives an example of an eagle, which had its wings clipped. Franklin uses such an instance in representing America as an eagle. He further portrays the dictators in Europe through the act of the birds stealing feathers from the eagle. This metaphor is used in creating nationalism in the country. This is because an eagle is usually deemed as the strongest bird and also acted as a symbol of strength in the United States. Thus it was being stolen by the dictators, and nothing was being done to hinder the action.

Nevertheless, Franklin inspires people to support the country by using some forms of repetition. This is reflected in the thirteenth paragraph, in which he incorporates a polysyndeton of restating the word “or” in his speech. This was used in emphasizing the Americans’ ideals concerning making peace with the Germans, which he claimed would not bring a change to the world. Franklin said this because the majority of continental Europe had fallen to the Germans, and the countries would likely be democratic once Germany won the war.

Also, Franklin involved some diction statements in his speech, which were used in inspiring national pride and also created confidence among the American public, towards acting. In this scenario, he uses the word “unprecedented” in his statements to make the audience bold in facing the war for their freedom.

Moreover, Franklin uses his illocutionary statements in his speech to indicate the power of his intention. The force of his words was primarily felt through his directives and representative statements. For instance, Franklin made some statements throughout his speech such as “I am convinced,” “let me assert my belief,” “I do not recommend,” “I must act and act quickly,” and “I recommend.” These phrases were used with the intent of asserting himself as an explicit leader of the country and a person to whom the entire country should listen and adhere. However, Franklin made use of expressive statements, especially when he wants to connect with the American people. He further incorporates specific phrases in his speech, such as “The nation takes great satisfaction,” “I regret to tell you,” and “I believe” (American Rhetoric: Franklin D. Roosevelt — “The Four Freedoms,” 2020). The illocutions provided an attitude meaning to the American citizen, which geared them to take necessary actions. Besides, the use of such illocutions helped Franklin in expressing his opinion in a precise manner towards the American people and the American government.

In conclusion, Franklin made use of his speech to fight for the “Four Freedom.” In this case, uses different styles and methods help people attain precise detail regarding the war for the four freedom. Eventually, the four freedoms speech helped America achieving democracy.

References

American Rhetoric: Franklin D. Roosevelt — “The Four Freedoms”. (2020). Retrieved 5 March 2020, from https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrthefourfreedoms.htm

Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century – American Rhetoric. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.americanrhetoric.com/newtop100speeches.htm