A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Ronald Reagan Challenger Eulogy

Nhu Phan

Public speaking 1315-310

Dr. Mary L. Nichols

Oct 21st, 2014

Rhetorical Analysis of the Ronald Reagan Challenger Eulogy January 28, 1986 would be an unforgotten day for not only the Houston, but also a United States. During the tenth flight of National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) space shuttle, “Challenger,” seven crews have sacrificed their lives on board (BBC ON THIS DAY 1986.) To cherish the bravery of these heroes: Ronald McNair, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, and one school teacher Christa McAuliffe, three days later, President Ronald Reagan eulogized NASA astronauts, at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas (Dennis and Kunkel 2003, pp.35-38.)

Based on the guideline set of A Speaker’s Guidebook, the eulogy must balance the emotions and delivery. Beside that, it must refer to the family of the deceased. In the speech, Reagan has balance and manage his delivery and emotions by focus on the families of the deceased feeling, instead of, his real personal feelings. It cited by the sentence “our nation’s loss is first a profound personal loss to the family and the friends and loved ones of our shuttle astronauts.” The other saying was “to those they have left behind—the mothers, the fathers, the husbands and wives, brothers, sisters and yes, especially the children”, in additionally, he also stated it one more time near the end of the speech with “your families and your country mourn your passing.” Highly concentrates on the families’ feeling, Reagan providing a sesnse of closeure to the audience with his declaration that “you who flew so high and so proud now make your home beyond the stars, safe in God’s promise of eternal life,” the eulogy is not filled with grief. He also addresses a considerable portion of his speech to the lives of the “Challenger Seven; satisfied the need to commemorate a life. The importance of the lives of the crew has focused by Reagan “the best we can do is remember our seven astronauts-our Challenger-Seven remember them

According to Sociology: A Brief Introduction, “Values” are defined as “collective conceptions of what is considered good, desirable, and prosper in a culture. They indicate what people in a given culture prefer as well as what they find important and morally right.” Depend of the list of American core values, being achievement and success, hard work, change, progress and science, equal opportunity, democracy, and freedom are a requirement. And Reagan has contained some of these values in his speech, especially, are the progress and science. The importance of progress and scientific, Reagan stated that we “must forge ahead, with a space program that is effective, safe and efficient, but bold and committed.” Reagan also dedicated the advancement of human knowledge are significant for future actions, as being continue to explore, although the tragedy are may happen, “Man will continue his conquest of space. To reach out for new goals and ever greater advancements—that is the way we shall commemorate our seven Challenger heroes”. To cheer up, comfort, and giving the citizens the connection through the Challenger tragedy, “Across America, we are reaching out, holding hands, finding in comfort in one another,” “all of America stands beside you in your time of sorrow.” Reagan affirm that, as a united of a nation, by standing together, we can overcome the