EnglishWithLatini.com
woudl score 2/4
In his 9/11 speech, President George W. Bush uses pathos to connect with the American people. He says, “Our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack.” By using words like "our" and "fellow citizens," Bush tries to create a sense of unity with his audience. He also talks about the victims, calling them "mothers and fathers, friends and neighbors," to make the audience feel more emotional about the people who died. This helps Bush show empathy and make the speech more personal to the people listening.
would score 4/4
In his 9/11 speech, President George W. Bush employs validates and appeals to Americans'' emotions in order to unite a grieving nation and emphasize the emotional gravity of the tragedy. Delivered just hours after the terrorist attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives and left the nation in shock, Bush’s speech had to address not only the immediate sorrow but also the looming uncertainty about national security and America’s future. Early in the speech, Bush addresses the American people directly, stating, “Our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack.” By using inclusive language like "our" and "fellow citizens," Bush fosters a sense of collective identity and shared loss. This choice not only appeals to the emotions of his audience, who are reeling from shock and devastation, but also reinforces the idea that the attacks were an assault on the core values and freedoms that define the United States. Bush’s empathetic tone continues as he honors the lives lost, calling them "mothers and fathers, friends and neighbors," personalizing the victims and making the tragedy more intimate for listeners. In the aftermath of 9/11, with a nation in mourning and fearful of further attacks, this deliberate appeal to pathos was crucial in mobilizing Americans for what would become the War on Terror. By connecting the audience emotionally to both the loss and the larger cause of defending American ideals, Bush’s speech successfully galvanized a fractured nation and laid the groundwork for his administration's subsequent actions.