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Rhetorical Analysis: The Hike In Steel Prices By John F. Kennedy

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President John F. Kennedy gave a commentary during a news conference on April 11, 1962 in which he argues that the hike in steel prices is unjustifiable and extremely wrong for the lives of the American people. Kennedy establishes his claims that raising the price of steel harms the lives of every American citizen through first establishing the context of the issue and then explaining all of the reasons that this rise in steel prices is harmful through his use of anaphora, appeal to logic, and tone of contempt towards the steel companies. Kennedy wishes to rebuke the steel companies who are raising these prices and anger Americans against them in order that they can stop raising their prices. His audience is the angered people who were upset …show more content…

He also quotes the Acting Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and says, "Employment costs per unit of steel output in 1961 were essentially the same as they were in 1958 (58)". He then references the Wall Street Journal when he reports that earnings of the steel industry were "among the highest in history (74)". Through all of these uses of research into this issue, he appears to his audience to be well-informed and a reliable source on this issue. He makes himself an expert on this issue, an expert who sympathizes with the American people suffering from these price increases, as he makes clear by his use of evidence from sources proving just how bad the effects of the price increases are for Americans. Furthermore, throughout the course of his argument he holds a contemptful tone towards the steel companies that are raising these prices. He vividly illustrates just how upset he is at the actions of these companies in the words that he uses to describe them. When talking about the increasing steel prices, he calls the increases "wholly unjustifiable and irresponsible

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At the start of the recession steel prices increased by almost 6 dollars a ton. President Kennedy addressed the issue on April 11th, 1962 at a news conference. During this conference President Kennedy stated on line 5 that this was “wholly unjustifiable and irresponsible defiance of the public interest”. Throughout the conference President Kennedy uses many rhetorical techniques such as using an ethical appeal through shared values, diction through a somber tone and word choice, and an emotional appeal to illuminate the issues that increased steel prices have caused. President Kennedy also uses intelligent, formal fiction through this speech regarding the increase in steel prices.

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He draws a line between them, the “185 million Americans” (ln 20-21) and a “tiny handful of steel executives” (ln 17) who don’t have a “sense of public responsibility” (ln 19). Kennedy concludes his speech by saying, “Some time ago I asked each American to consider what he would do for his country. I asked the steel companies. In the last 24 hours, we had their answer” (ln 107-110). This jab at the steel companies also helps to make a point that the American people are doing more for their country than the steel companies are.

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Kennedy says in his news conference," If this rise in the cost of steel is imitated by the rest of the industry, instead of rescinded, it would increase the cost of homes, autos, appliances, and most other items for every American family. It would increase the cost of machinery and tools to every American businessman and farmer. It would seriously handicap our efforts to prevent an inflationary spiral from eating up the pensions of our older citizens, and our new gains in purchasing power"(line 23-31) This shows that when the decline of the companies it will seriously handicap the American people due to the large increase in prices. This is also shown in, "And it would surely handicap our efforts to induce other industries and unions adopt responsible price and wage policies"(line 43-45)

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On April 11, 1962 John F. Kennedy held a news conference in which he addresses the most recent steel prices. He then calls for stable prices and wages as the country rebuilds as it comes out of a recession. Kennedy uses rhetorical devices to persuade corporate steel companies to reduce prices. Kennedy opens his address and implies that steel corporations have acted out in an unjustifiable and irresponsible manner in regards to the nation's public interest.

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Joshua Dolan Mrs. Meszaros AP Language 11:8 21 September 2023 Steel President John F. Kennedy, who is known for advocating for stable prices and wages, passionately remarks that the raising of the steel prices is unfair at the news conference on April 11, 1962. Kennedy starts off in a very informal tone, while using pathos to talk about how unfair the steel prices are to the American people. He uses logos to deduct why the prices of steel are so unfair and are causing damage to American homes. Kennedy wants the people to rise up against the steel prices in order to convince leading steel corporations to lower their prices. People love Kennedy and they trust his leadership, which will help a lot as he is trying to pursue them.

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President John F. Kennedy, in his response to steel companies raising prices by 3.5 percent in a time of financial crisis, asserts that these companies are not patriotic and care more for profits than the American people. In order to prove his point, Kennedy brings up the sorrows that the American people currently face and how there is absolutely no justification for this increase in prices. The purpose of this statement is to bring to light the wrongs of the steel companies in order to get the steel companies to lower their prices. Kennedy uses pathos, logos, and ethos to assert that a great injustice has befallen the American people, assuring them that he is on their side. Firstly, Kennedy uses the great tranquility that America currently faces to reassure the audience that their anger is

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How does a president convey to the Americans the severity of an economic distress? How does he prove to the Americans that what he proposes is the correct resolution? It all depends upon the argument the president presents to the American people, whether it addresses a solution or not. On April 10, 1962, President John F. Kennedy speaks to the American people, addressing and calling out the injustices of the rapid inflation of steel prices and his call for a national sacrifice for stable prices and wages with the use of ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional connection), and logos (logical facts). Kennedy’s point of reprimanding the steel companies is achieved through his use of pathos, or drawing in the audience with an emotional connection.

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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

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John F. Kennedy, President at the time when the US was emerging from a recession, called for better wages and stable prices in an effort to help America get back on its feet. On April 11, 1962, Kennedy called for a conference, arguing that if steel prices continued to rise in the US, this would be detrimental to the country on all fronts. In this speech, directed at major steel companies, Kennedy adopts a tone that was intended to strike fear into all Americans, and he does this through logical explanations of what would happen to the economy, an appeal to his credentials as president of the United States, and the toll it would take on Americans nationwide. Kennedy starts by reminding the Americans of what national turmoil they have been through

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In 1962, the United States was in the middle of the Vietnam War and fresh out of a recession. Things were definitely not going very well when, all of a sudden, steel prices rose by almost 4 percent. Then President, John F. Kennedy, was very incensed by the sudden decision and wrote a very passionate speech about it. In his speech he talks about the irresponsibility of steel companies, using rhetorical devices to argue his points. He uses the points in his speech to convince his audience that rising steel prices are not in their best interest.

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He want his audience to disapprove with the steel companies plans. These facts convince the audience that Kennedy is right that the steel companies should not increase the steel prices because of the recession. The numerous statistics shows how unbalance the economy is and support Kennedy’s plan to stabilize the steel prices. In conclusion, Kennedy use of diction, emotional appeals, and a persuasive tone convince Americans to change their opinion and despise the steel companies. He want his nation attention to rally them up to look down upon the steel corporations.

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In 1962, in the midst of the international space race, steel prices in the U.S. began to rise. In this speech delivered by John F. Kennedy, he claims that there is no justification for these increasing steel prices through the use of logos and pathos. Whilst attempting to convince and create reason for steel companies to reduce their prices, JFK employs the use of logic-best argumentation in order to convey his message. However, at times, because his audience isn't merely citizens of the country but also executives of the steel companies, the line between pathos and logos is subtle, for he appeals to the emotions general American public through the use of verifiable data.

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As America entered and went through dark economic tensions, President Kennedy strived for stable prices and wages. After the largest steel companies raised steel prices by 3.5 percent, Kennedy gave a speech in response. In the speech, Kennedy calls out the steel companies for actions that were “wholly unjustifiable” and “irresponsibly defiant” to the American people. He appeals to the audience’s emotion, uses repetition, and applies logic to achieve his goal in persuading the companies to lower steel prices.

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However, in parts of his speech Kennedy talks about how certain groups in the nation are working to help the people of America. For example in line 92 Kennedy talks about the Department of Defense. He talks about what they’re doing to figure out why the prices of steel are rising so quickly and what needs to be done to protect the public interest. By using positive and negative words Kennedy is able to make his opinion clear. The audience is able to see Kennedy’s negative opinion on the rising steel prices and his positive opinion on what different organizations are doing to help with the current steel crisis.

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