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Evan Bungum
Dr. Rick Herder
SPCH 303-01
23 September 2014
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation
Events in history often catapult nations to take action in a moment’s notice; such was the case
on December 7th, 1941. This is often referred to a ‘day that will live in infamy’ due to the deliberate and
deadly attack on Pearl Harbor which instigated the declaration of World War II. The use of rhetoric in
speech writing is essential in persuading the audience to believe and support the message. Aristotle’s
teaching has described three components of rhetoric that were used effectively by Franklin Delano
Roosevelt (FDR) during his Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation on December 8th, 1941.
The three strategies of persuading another through use of language originate from Aristotle’s
lessons dating back to 350 BC. Using the concepts of ethos, pathos and logos during a speech are
necessary if needing to convince and persuade and audience to support a message. According to
Aristotle, “persuasion is achieved by the speaker’s personal character….Persuasion may come through
the hearers, when the speech stirs their emotions….and persuasion is effect through the speech when
we have proved a truth suitable to the case in question…”(Aristotle’s Three Modes of Persuasion in
Rhetoric 1).
President Roosevelt took swift action to deliver his speech after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
His speech was short, stern and defining for our nation. By merely being the President of the United
States, his character and position of power represented his success in establishing the ethos component
of rhetoric. Positive ethos of a speaker is dependent competence, good moral character, and goodwill
(O’Hair, Stewart, and Rubenstein 57). President Roosevelt was a reliable leader that displayed an air of
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steadfast confidence while giving this speech. He reminds the listeners that he is their leader by stating,
“As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our
defense” (Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1).
Hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the American public was shocked and dismayed at the
nerve of Japan to make a surprise attack. So many lives were lost and the fear of what was to come for
the future of our nation was evident. FDR used the element of pathos in order to validate the emotions
of the listener so that they may be anxious for a plan to offer a solution to this problem. His emphasis
on Japan using a surprise attack made most Americans angry and judgmental about Japanese morals
and values. FDR appeals to the emotions by stating, “The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has
caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many
American lives have been lost” (Franklin Delano Roosevelt 2).
The intention of FRD’s speech to the nation was to review the events of the past 24 hours and
reiterate the deliberation of the attack by the Japanese. His ability to share his seemingly peaceful
efforts in reasoning with the Japanese military only to be deceived by their attack helps FDR to give logic
and explanation to his plan. The use of logos describes the logical appeal to persuade the listener and
often uses facts to emphasize the decision. FDR use of logos is represented when he stated “The facts
of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed
their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation” (Franklin
Delano Roosevelt 2). He goes on to end his speech by asking Congress to declare war on Japan, which is
a very rational decision in order to protect the United States of America.
America was in a state of confusion and anguish on December 7th, 1941. President Roosevelt
acted quickly to give the nation a plan by declaring war on Japan. The content of his speech shared
numerous facts and truths that the American public would need to hear in order to support his
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declaration of war. He was honest in sharing his frustration of Japan’s surprise attack along with his
sadness about the many lives lost. He was very confident in his message and his voice never wavered
while speaking. He was a prominent and trusted leader to those who heard his message. Though war is
never something the American public wishes for, the declaration of World War II was supported due in
part to President Roosevelt’s impressive address to the nation.
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Works Cited
American Rhetoric. 2010 ed. N.p, 2010. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
<AmericanRhetoric.com/speeches/fdrpearlharbor.htm>.
Mountain Man. N.p, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
<www.Moutainman.com.au/ESSENES/aristotles_modes_of_persuasion_in_rhetoric>.
O’Hair, Dan, Rob Stewart, and Hannah Rubenstein. A Speaker’s Guidebook. 5th ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print.