Based_on_Opinion

Jeremiah Thixton Professor Murray Humanities 205 23 December 2010 Based on Opinion This is a rhetorical analysis essay in response to President Barack Obama’s back to school event speech, in Arlington, Virginia, on September 8, 2009. President Obama puts rhetoric to good use. He puts himself in the mindset of the masses. He balances all; ethos, logos, pathos and with grace. He also interchangeably uses the forms of persuasion with precision. The ways in which President Barack Obama presents himself is admirable. There are three categories of ethos; first, phronesis, which looks at the practical skills and wisdom of the speaker or author, second, arete, which focuses on virtue and goodness for all and third, eunoia, which is the goodwill towards the people that here or read the words. (Rapp, 2010) Ethos has started before the president had begun speaking. It began with the thoughts that people had in regards to his character. Ethos continued throughout his greeting. He started his speech with a greeting instead of an introduction. He greets the audience in the traditional American way. This, with his presentation of self, the title he carries and what he has accomplished while he has been in office, initially carries high ethos. Immediately after his greeting he introduces the setting, which is fact and is the path for logos to take place. From the beginning of his greeting to the end of the introduction President Barack Obama goes from ethos to pathos and logos, then back with ease. Pathos is associated with emotions, but it is more complex than that. A better explanation might be the appeal to the audience's sympathies and imagination. Pathos causes an audience to respond emotionally and to identify with the writer's or speaker’s point of view. To feel what the writer feels influences control. This is usually done through the telling of a story. (digitalnature, 2007) President Barack Obama tells many stories with in this speech. There are stories about him, The First Lady and children that are currently taking responsibilities for themselves. He speaks about the troubles that many have encountered and the goals that they achieved. While these stories were being told, imagery is painted and responsibility is placed. This has all taken place methodically and logically. Logos is the place for the facts to be presented. President Barack Obama accomplishes this systematically. The facts that were presented were easy to identify, by the way that they were presented. The common language that was used made it easy for young children to understand. (Rapp, 2010) Each individual now has been taken through many different emotions. Emotions of confidence that come from the president himself, was felt first. This then turned to slight anxiety, which came from the reminder of the first day of school. The next experience of emotions came from hearing the word, “Responsibility.” With this word emotions are heightened. After the audiences emotions are at this high level, a resolution is offered. This resolution is the acceptance of responsibility through action. The president has a direct interest in the outcomes of the speech. What the people hear, and what they do because of what they have heard, can be a call to action. Bringing an importance in education and the responsibilities that each individual has in regards to their education, to the attention of the countries children, can only benefit the country and of course make him look good. This may be in direct violation of rhetoric, but his competence and character may uphold his words. Works Cited digitalnature. (2007). Rhetorical Analysis, Presentation & Public Speaking. Retrieved 12 27, 2010, from European Rhetoric: http://www.european-rhetoric.com/rhetoric-101/modes-persuasion-aristotle/pathos/ Rapp, C. (2010, 2 1). Aristotle's Rhetoric. Retrieved 12 27, 2010, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-rhetoric/