Rhetorical Analysis Of John F Kennedy Speech

John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States and was inaugurated in January 1962. The space race between the Soviet Union and the U.S. lasted for a few years at the time of Kennedy's speech. Kennedy wanted the United States to lead and win the race to demonstrate how powerful the United States' technology was. As the U.S. President, the audience of his speech was directed towards persuading the American public to support the race to space to have the United States lead in space science. Kennedy alludes to a historical figure to motivate Americans that being a nation that leads in space science will not be easy but memorable actions are never easy, and he also uses anaphora when describing the United State's past and present power

Kennedy mentions William Bradford because Bradford was an important figure in the very beginnings of the United States. Bradford was of the original pilgrims on the Mayflower to settle in the Plymouth Bay Colony. By paraphrasing a quote by Bradford, Kennedy is connecting the beginning of the United States to the current technologically advanced U.S. in the similarity of overcoming a difficult goal, whether it is settling on land or the moon. He is motivating the American people with Bradford’s words; “all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage” (Kennedy). Kennedy is hoping that using a quote from a significant person who endured tough times in creating something new will resonate with the American people to support America’s place in the space race, despite the challenges it will come with. As president, he believes having the nation lead in space science will be for the better of his nation. Through this quote, Kennedy is asking the public to have courage in the nation’s space science for he believes that space science will be “great” and “honorable”. Kennedy continues motivating the people by explaining how man will continue “in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred”. Although the life of Bradford

He repeats the words "the first wave" to describe how Americans have always led in advancements compared to the world, whether it be of " the industrial revolutions, [...] modern invention, [...] nuclear power". Kennedy is explaining to the public that America has always been the first to accept innovations and progress to better benefit the country and the way of living. By making a pattern with examples of how America has been the first for progress, Kennedy makes leading in space science to be the next new thing in which America will lead and achieve greatness. He is convincing the public to support the space science of the nation and give it courage just as the American people before them had the courage for innovations such as the industrial revolutions, modern inventions, and nuclear power to achieve new accomplishments and progress for a better life. By using these examples, Kennedy is making space travel and researching the new next big thing for America to do that will ultimately improve the way of life. To further describe America's great ability to innovate, he describes "we [the American public and he] mean to be a part of it —we [the American public and he] mean to lead it". Not only does America become involved with new technology, but America leads the world in new technologies. By using the repetition of "the first wave" and the anaphora