Rhetorical Analysis Of Reagan's Speech

On June 12, 1987, President Reagan stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate ,a background most dreary visible behind him, to give a speech to not just the people of Berlin, but also to the people of the world. Through his speech, Reagan sought to undermine the Soviet Union by raising support against it from the people of Berlin, a people who would have felt the effects of the Soviet Union very much. Their city was divided by a wall which separated not just East from West, but family from family, friend from friend, and freedom from oppression. And he not only attacked the Soviet Union, but also communism as a whole and any totalitarian state. And he ultimately sought to bring about the end of the Berlin Wall, which would have unified Berlin and

Reagan’s statement, “To be sure, we in the West must resist Soviet expansion” (American Rhetoric 4), by using “we” and “must”, creates a connection with the people of Berlin and makes the conflict with the Soviet Union appear to be a shared struggle between America with its allies and Berlin and creates an obligation for Berliners, and most of Eastern Europe when he acknowledges them by saying “To those listening throughout Eastern Europe, I extend my warmest greetings and the good will of the American people”(American Rhetoric 1), which is a crucial part of starting a strong resistance to Soviet expansion. By offering the support of America through saying “I pledge to you my country’s efforts to help overcome these burdens”(American Rhetoric 4), he further fosters a strong

Another one of his motives is revealed when he says, “The totalitarian world produces backwardness because it does such violence to the spirit, thwarting the human impulse to create, to enjoy, to worship. The totalitarian world finds even symbols of love and of worship an affront”(American Rhetoric 6). Even if an organized resistance could not occur, he raised support for America’s cause against the Soviets by making their government seem like the worst thing that could ever happen to a country, causing discontent to grow especially because it was a President that was saying it. Who was saying it created ethos and raise awareness to how bad totalitarianism was by eliminating ignorance to the effects of totalitarianism; in addition, his use of the ways it impacts humans brings a human factor into play that would arouse a more passionate response than if he had stated the effects on something else, such as economics. The third point at which he reveals the underlying motivations for giving his speech at the Brandenburg Gate is when he says, “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev -- Mr.