John F Kennedy Rhetorical Analysis Essay

On April 11, 1962, former American president John F. Kennedy spoke to the American people about the increase in prices across steel corporations. Kennedy utilized anaphora to emphasize the devastating effects of the rise in steel prices on the economy, pathos to sympathize with the American people, and a negative tone to explain why the rise in steel prices was unjustifiable. Kennedy employs anaphora to stress the devastating effects of the increase in steel costs on the economy, as it would “make it more difficult for American goods to compete in foreign markets, more difficult to withstand competition from foreign imports. and stem the flow of gold” (Kennedy). Utilizing repetition, Kennedy emphasizes the difficulties the nation’s economy

It would increase the cost of machinery and tools to every American businessman and farmer” (Kennedy). Through repetition, Kennedy highlights the issues the nation’s economy would face due to the hike in steel costs, as well as the greater devastation that would occur if the rise in steel prices continued. To appeal to his audience’s emotions during this saddening time, Kennedy recognizes the devastating condition of Americans before the rise in steel prices: “servicemen [were asked] to risk their lives - and four were killed in the last two days in Vietnam - and [union members were asked] to hold down their wage requests” (Kennedy). The emphasis on these brave Americans allowed Kennedy to empathize with his audience’s loss. Kennedy then continued on to recognize that the hike in steel prices would only bring additional losses to the American people as it would “seriously handicap our efforts to prevent an inflationary spiral from eating up the pensions of our older citizens” (Kennedy). By connecting to the melancholic emotions of his American audience, Kennedy expresses his sympathy for the American people “In this serious hour in [the] nation’s history”