My essay described the ad titled, “Henry Fonda (Kennedy, 1960).” Henry Fonda is dressed in a
suit and in the background is a picture of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The background is black and
white, and Henry Fonda is in an office. He then begins to give his review of a movie, and he
begins to create an analogy between Kennedy, Roosevelt, and World War II. Fonda then begins
to speak highly of the character’s courage and endurance. Fonda recognizes a connection
between the character’s courage and a story he read in the, “Reader’s Digest.” The story is
written about John F. Kennedy and his survival on an island during World War II. An American
flag is waving in the air, while Fonda illustrates how the Japanese dominated American ships in
numbers. Fonda speaks with passion and hope when describing Kennedy’s ship and the
destruction of it. After Kennedy’s boat is destroyed, he saves ten people in water. Then Kennedy
courageously saves one person by holding onto a strap with his teeth, swimming him to safety.
Fonda says, “That nine survivors and Kennedy were stranded at sea for nine days.” Images of the
sea appear, and Fonda says, “Kennedy swam to every shore looking for help.” Kennedy on the
ninth day finds help and eventually is rescued by a ship. Fonda is holding a coconut in his hand,
and he verifies that this is what Kennedy ate before getting saving. Once upon the ship, Kennedy
was offered food and he declines by saying, “no thanks, I just had a coconut.” An older
Caucasian man is sitting on a desk and talks about Kennedy. He talks about his courage and how
he was awarded and recognized for his bravery. Fonda continues to speak of Kennedy’s
character and his qualifications. Fonda then concludes by comparing Franklin D. Roosevelt to
John F. Kennedy.
Franklin D. Roosevelt is historically known as a great president. Fonda comparing Roosevelt’s
character to Kennedy’s character will indicates his ability to lead. Since John Hersey is a known
journalist and his story is easy to trust for Fonda’s evidence to use in his story, “Survivor.”
Certain people that experienced World War II might have emotional thoughts and view
Kennedy’s military contribution as honorable and it will add to his credibility to be president.
Nixon’s administration attacked Kennedy’s youth and suggested that his ability to lead would be
affected by it. In this ad however, it displays Kennedy with more experience at war instead of
Nixon. The picture of Kennedy with his shirt off conveys his youthful charismatic personality
with fellow Americans. The passenger that Kennedy saves is injured and can be seen as a
metaphor of America at the time. It is an example of Kennedy saving an American in tough
times and defending America against its enemies. Fonda’s description of Kennedy saving an
American with his “teeth” by holding a strap in his mouth while swimming from shore to shore
is an example of his courage. His rejection of food after being saved by a boat and his claim that,
“the coconut was sufficient” is an example of his humbleness. Both examples together illustrate
his sacrifice to save another human being in times of chaos. Fonda’s comparison of Kennedy and
Roosevelt will leave an impression on the viewer’s memory. The patriotic theme of Fonda’s ad
on Kennedy communicates that military service assists leadership and that Americans consider
military service as a high qualification to be president. It also conveys that Americans glorify
war and appreciate a good war story. The combination of Kennedy’s youth, military service, and
Roosevelt’s previous presidency depicts Kennedy as a developed individual. The image of
Kennedy swimming to save a passenger with a strap in his mouth displays his strength. This
suggests that Americans admire strength, physically, mentally, emotionally and that any
president should have these qualities. The portrayal of Fonda and that Americans trust the
opinion of a gentlemen talking elegantly and that wears a suit is insinuated. Kennedy shows
humility by not accepting food that is offered to him and this suggests that Americans relate
more with humility rather than cockiness. This assumption can also suggest that Nixon does not
possess humility. The presumption that Americans respect and appreciate being awarded is
acknowledged when Kennedy is decorated with metals after saving nine passengers. Ultimately,
the insinuations that are surrounded by war create an image of Americans respecting and
validating leadership through times of difficultly and the celebration of violence may seem closeminded.