Rhetorical Analysis Obama
Rhetorical Analysis Obama
Rhetorical Analysis Obama
Olivia Ojala
Trelease
English 1010
14 October 2019
Former president of the United States, Barack Obama, in his sentimental speech,
Interfaith Prayer Vigil at Newton High School, responds to the shooting that took place at Sandy
Hook Elementary School by delivering comforting words to the United States, and more
specifically, to those who were directly affected. The shooting occurred on December 14, 2012,
just two days before this speech was given. Obama’s purpose is to provide a sense of hope after
this terrible incident, and reassure everyone that this can be overcome. He adopts a heartfelt tone
in order to appeal to the hurting nation, while also using a serious tone to depict that a change
needs to be made regarding such violence. Obama respectfully brings a soothing message to the
nation after this recent tragedy by using pathos, several rhetorical questions, and a precise
syntax.
At Newtown High School, Obama begins his emotionally powerful speech to the nation
by honoring the memory of those who lost their lives in the recent tragedy, and by conveying his
heartfelt condolences toward anyone in anguish. He acknowledges his sympathy for anyone
suffering by recognizing that the lives of the “twenty beautiful children and six remarkable
adults” (5) will be missed and that words won’t be enough to “match the depths of your sorrow”
or “heal your wounded hearts” (6). He also recognizes his own feelings of sorrow by implying
“that we’re all parents” and “that they’re all our children” (14) in order to emotionally connect
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himself and the audience to the current situation. He sees that this is a very heartbreaking period
of grief for much of the nation, so he hopes to give solace by bringing forth the knowledge “that
you’re not alone in your grief” (6), and that everyone’s “world too has been torn apart” (6). This
sympathetic response from the president provides the audience with a sense of validity and
understanding for the misery they are experiencing, which allows them to embrace and accept it.
associated questions in order to captivate the audience and allow them to deeply feel for the
current adversity in the nation. He utilizes the power of these questions by applying them in
specific areas that will enable the audience to further reflect on the given information. These
thought provoking questions are joined with concerns such as “preventing tragedies like this”
(21) in the future and assuring that we are “doing enough to keep our children -- all of them --
safe from harm” (16). He incorporates several deep questions into his speech in order to give the
audience a moment to ponder these considerations, but also to reveal that terrible afflictions, like
this shooting, need to be permanently terminated. He wants to emphasize that “we can’t accept
events like this as routine”(21). Through the use of these questions, Obama hopes to open the
eyes of the audience to the fact that there needs to be a change regarding the safety of children.
This expression of deliberation concerning such sensitive concepts conveys a serious, insightful
tone that shapes the thinking of the audience to be supportive of Obama’s ideas, while also
Throughout Obama’s comforting address, there are a variety of sentence structures that
he uses in order to achieve different goals. The longer, more in depth sentences that are found
tend to have many more profound feelings. These sentences seem to have greater passion behind
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them and view the situation in an understandingly mournful manner. Many of the sections with
longer syntax are accomplishing this sense of passion through the use of polysyndetons and
asyndetons. Adjusting the conjunctions added to the speech is very beneficial because when
increasing them, the topic is visually expanded, and when completely omitting conjunctions, the
separate sections can unite into a single discussion. Obama’s use of long syntax is found when he
conveys that taking care of our children is done “with the help of friends and neighbors, the help
of a community, and the help of a nation” (14), that the “warmth of a small child’s embrace” (23)
is true, and how the responses of the 6 teachers were “with courage and with love” (8). The
concise sentences, however, are placed to create a more serious, urgent tone. These sentences are
used to grasp the attention of the audience while giving them the essential information without
elaboration. These succinct sentences are seen when Obama declares that “these tragedies must
end” (19) and that “we will have to change” to stop them. The combination of both of these
syntax forms brings the proper and intended focus on all of the components of this situation.
The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012. In Barack
Obama’s tender speech, Interfaith Prayer Vigil at Newtown High School, he delivers a
reassuring, yet heartbreaking message to the nation. He speaks out about this unacceptable
violence that needs to be put to an end, while also comforting those who are in pain from this
tragedy. Through this speech, Obama hopes to encourage the audience to desire for change, and
console them by appraising the knowledge that they’re not suffering alone.