Rhetorical Analysis Of 9/11 Address To The Nation Speech (Essay Example)

George W Bush’s usage of diction in the 9/11 Address to the Nation argues to the audience that America needs to move past the attack as a unified nation. Bush’s diction appeals to the reader's emotion to prove his argument while developing the melancholy mood. George W Bush begins with an antithesis in his diction. George W Bush, following the terrorist attack, states, “These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong.” Bush uses strong diction as he describes the attacks as “Mass murder,” while describing the Nation as “strong”. This develops a sense of reflection and somberness by referring to the attack with such language and recalling the many deaths that occurred. He also sets the hopeful part of the mood as he refers to this country as strong. This creates hope as the audience knows the country can overcome this attack together as they are stronger than what happened. Next, George W Bush instantly informed the audience about their plan: “Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our governments emergency response plans.” Bush uses the diction to appeal to the audience's emotions and make them feel hopeful by describing how the country is going into “Emergency Response Plans.” This creates a sense of hope as the situation is being handled by the government so quickly and efficiently. It also shows how moving on from the event is the right thing as this is what they are trying to doon as soon as they could after the first attack without much time to mourn.“America and our friends and allies join with those who want peace and security, as we stand together to win the war against terrorism,” said George W Bush, attempting to unite the nation against terrorism. He talks about how Americans must win the “war” against terrorism. This shows the audience that this is a serious topic and drastic measures are being taken to move forward. It also develops the mood as melancholy because people know the war is inevitable but is needed to move on as a nation against terrorists. These three pieces of evidence develop the mood of the story through the diction within them while also appealing to the emotions of the people listening or reading the speech.

Works Cited

Bush, George W. “9/11 Adress to the Nation.” American Rhetoric.com, 2021. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gwbush911addresstothenation.htm. Accessed 13 Dec. 2021.