Rhetorical Analysis Of Washington's Farewell Address

Washington takes his position as President of the United States and uses it to his advantage to spread his words and thoughts to all of the American public. He uses his Farewell Address to build his ethos and establish his credibility. Throughout his speech, Washington uses personal pronouns to connect him with the American public. When speaking of his hopes for his retirement, Washington conveys his desire to partake in America’s upbringing “in the midst of my fellow-citizens” and enjoy “our mutual cares, labors, and dangers” (16). Washington’s use of personal pronouns connects him to the American public because it establishes his role as an American citizen along with the rest of the country. Although he is the President of the United States,

Washington uses the trustworthiness he credits himself with to convey to the audience that his speech is worth listening to since he holds a position that requires the utmost amount of trust. Along with the credibility he gives himself through his presidency, Washington reminds the American public about the trust instilled in him, in government positions, and in the American people to uphold the Constitution and make America into the country it aspires to be. Washington presents the idea that those in government positions are those who can be “entrusted with [America’s] administration” who can avoid “that love of power, and proneness to use it” (9). In this statement he offers the idea that it is up to Americans to elect trustworthy people into government and that those who hold government positions should be those who can hold power without succumbing to corruption. Using his position as President of the United States, Washington establishes his credibility in his speech to suggest to the audience that he is trustworthy and that the audience should be able to trust his

Because Washington’s hope is to inspire his audience even after he retires from the presidency, he attempts to persuade the American public into listening to thoughts, ideas, and advice for America’s future. Washington uses plain folks to appeal to his audience and make himself appear as an equal, average citizen in America. The speech begins by addressing the listeners as “Friends and Citizens” ( Washington 1). Washington’s first words in his address place him among the American citizens, all of whom he considers to be friends. This reference to the friendship between Washington and the public occurs multiple times in the speech as Washington refers to himself as a “parting friend” (3) and “an old and affectionate friend” (14). The friendship Washington establishes with the people of America serve as a reason for the audience to listen to his speech and take note of the topics and ideas he presents. In addition to the plain folks appeal, Washington also repeats words and phrases to give a larger effect to his address. When advising his audience on the importance of a strong, unified government, Washington claims such a government is a necessity to keep the American values of “your real independence,” “your tranquility at home,” “your peace abroad,” “your safety,” “your prosperity,” and “that very liberty which you so highly prize” (3).