Reflection on Trump's Presidential Nomination Speech

 Despite questionable campaign policies, Donald Trump's Presidential Nomination Speech, delivered on July 21, 2016, can be considered successful as it accomplished its goal of informing the voters of his views on America's most pressing issues. He was able to do this by including all three parts of the rhetorical triangle and thus focusing on the speaker, the audience and the subject. His use of ethos, pathos and logos allowed him to prey on the audience's fears about the country they live in. Trump easily established his credibility when he states, "I have made billions of dollars in business making deals – now I’m going to make our country rich again." In this example Trump deftly uses his success as an accomplished businessman to build his credibility as a leader.
 He also deployed logos by bringing up facts about the problems America faces today. For instance, Trump mentions the country's increasing homicide rates and states that "in our nation's capital, killings have risen by 50 percent. They are up nearly 60'% in Baltimore." This information is used to remind the audience that they are in need of someone that is aware of these problems and has the power to do something about them. Lastly, Trump also employs pathos to appeal to the audiences sentiment. The emotion that Trump appeals to most is fear and this is quite evident in his word choice, At one point Trump claims that, "Our Convention occurs at a moment of crisis for our nation. The attacks on our police, and the terrorism in our cities, threaten our very way of life. Any politician who does not grasp this danger is not fit to lead our country." Words such as "crisis", "attacks", "terrorism" and the phrase "threaten our way of life" are used to instill a sense of fear in the audience. Ultimately, by addressing the audience, subject and himself, the speaker, trump was able to make his speech effective and achieve his goal of getting his message out to the voters.

Reflection On Bush's 9/11 Speech

George W, Bush's 9/11 speech can be considered successful because it accomplishes its goal of addressing the American people about the tragedy and assuring them that these attacks weren't a testimony to the strength of America. He was able to fulfill his purpose by comforting the frightened and rousing a feeling of national pride among the people. His tone was strong, determined and encouraging which prompts the audience to trust him. Bush utilized ethos, logos, and pathos in his speech to make it all the more effective. His use of ethos is evident as he is none other than the President. However, Bush also depicts himself as a fellow American. He stated, "Today, our fellow citizens, our very freedom came under attack..." His use of the word "our" serves to make him seem more relatable and understanding. Bush establishes logos by relaying information about the attack to the audience. He explains that thousands of people died from the attack and described the aftermath of the planes flying into the buildings. The most important rhetorical device Bush utilized, however, is pathos. His use of pathos is evident in his word choice. For example, he stated that "Our country is strong. A great people have been moved to defend a great nation." These phrases are used for the sole purpose of eliciting a sense of pride in their country from the audience. Ultimately, Bush's 9/11 speech was very effective as he focused his attention on the victims of the tragedy and not on the terrorists. He made the fallen seem more humane and real as opposed to just victims. He depicted them as friends and family and his strong word choice further served his purpose to unite the nation.

First Blog 9/15/16

Hello! My name is Elizabeth Rose Joseph and I love drawing, reading, writing and all things art related. I'm also a fan of trying new things and wish to travel the world one day. There are so many places out in the world that are monuments of people's cultures and lifestyles. I want to explore them and make decisions for myself about the world I live in.

Some of my favorite books include but are not limited to: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series, All The Bright Places, and The Perks of being a Wallflower. I also enjoy watching shows on Netflix. Some of my favorite shows are Friends, Scrubs, Greys Anatomy, and Quantico.