Clare Boothe Luce Speeches

In a very calculated introduction, American Journalist and Politician, Clare Boothe Luce prepares the audience for the criticism that they will endure, as well as herself, in her following speech.

Luce starts off by appealing to the audience’s emotions. Luce acknowledges that by administering her criticism, she is also subjecting herself to criticism. She states, “ for the banquet speaker who criticizes the weaknesses and pretensions, or exposes the follies and sins, of his listeners—even at their invitation—does not generally evoke an enthusiastic-no less a friendly—response.”(line 11) By doing this, Luce is relating herself to the audience, she’s allowing the audience to see her as an equal. Luce emphasizes how difficult of a position she has been put in and Luce uses this to warn the audience of the future criticism they will endure in the following speech.

She reminds the audience, “... I am not a volunteer for this subject tonight.” She follows this with reminding the audience of why she truly is delivering this speech, “You have asked me to tell you what’s wrong with you— the American Press.” Luce reminds the audience of this crucial fact so when the audience takes offense in her criticism, they have no one to blame but themselves. Luce also appeals to the audience’s conscience. Luce does this by utilizing a metaphor. She describes herself as a “rock thrower” (line 10). Luce continues this metaphor to reveal to the audience that she is going to attack them with criticism in an effort to cause