President John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address emphasizes the goals of the U.S as a world power to further the liberties of other nations and preserve peace. Kennedy’s purpose is to warn the Soviet Union against initiating a nuclear war and call the American people to rise up to their full potential. He adopts a cautionary tone in order to convey to the American population as well as the world the seriousness of the world’s problems and the necessity of all nations joining in peace. Kennedy begins his speech by establishing the U.S as a world power that will fight for human rights across the world, just as it has in its own country. He appeals to the nationalistic beliefs of the audience by referring to his audience as “heirs of that first …show more content…
Kennedy alludes to important beliefs and events in U.S history in order to convince the American public and “every nation, whether it wishes [the U.S] well or ill,that [the U.S] shall pay any price[...] to assure the survival and success of liberty”(25-26, 28). Kennedy’s use of allusions created an ethical appeal. His support for his country led to this ethos. Kennedy shifts to the middle of his speech by implying that the U.S will do anything to preserve liberty and peace across the globe, which is currently being threatened. He establishes the threat to liberty that the world is facing by demonizing one of the “powerful groups of nations”(82-83), through diction words such as “destruction”(75), “hostile powers”(58), and “aggression”(60). Kennedy vilifies "those nations who would make themselves" an adversary of the U.S" in order to appeal to the emotions of the American population listening to his speech. By portraying the adversaries of the U.S as negative powers, Kennedy justifies his position against those nations, appealing to the emotions of the listener. Kennedy closes his speech by