Throughout his speech, Obama showed use of the rhetorical situation, especially awareness of his audience. He sympathized with them and delivered exactly what they needed to hear. Because he was so aware of his audience, he delivered a message that appealed to their needs. He acknowledged their fears and gave them hope, confidence, and inspiration. Obama wants his audience to know that he understands that America is facing hard times, but he also wants them to have confidence in him. He reminds his readers that “greatness is never a given” and that hard work is needed to rebuild a great nation. By recognizing this Obama is able to gain the respect and confidence of a divided nation.
Obama also establishes his ethos quite well. He does this by showing that he is humble and can relate to the audience, that he is one with the people. He says that America has not been successful because of the “skill or vision of those in high office”, but rather because of the people. By doing this Obama shows the people that he is sensitive to their needs. He also builds his credibility by speaking eloquently and to the point.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I also liked that he kept himself as more of an equal with American. He went to Harvard so he is a really intelligent guy. In this speech however, he didn't come across that way in his speech.
I also found it comforting to know that he was going to work hard at greatness and that he doesn't just take it as given. It was a really good appeal to ethos.
It was interesting to how he used our nations past to relate to the trials that lay ahead.
I agree, he did a good job relating to the audience and trying to act like he was on the same level as the rest of the country.
Post a Comment