Rhetorical Analysis of Obamas Inaugural Address 2008 Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Analysis of Obamas Inaugural Address 2008 Essay The 2008 presidential campaign was controversial, emotional, historical and also amidst an economic crisis. Barack Obama’s victory marked a change in American society regarding race and politics. His election as the first African American President of the United States is profound and signifies a changing America. Obama gave his inaugural address on January 20, 2009 in Washington D.C. Unlike the campaign, the inauguration was a celebration, marked by clear skies and a patriotic crowd. More than one million people gathered in the National Mall to support the newly elected President despite cold weather. His primary audience was the American people viewing, but he also appealed to a secondary audience consisting of nations across the globe. Obama’s use of diction, tone, and vocal variety created a powerful delivery that supported his implicit purpose. In order to achieve his explicit purpose, he established and maintained a positive ethos and appealed to pathos through imagery. Obama’s explicit purpose was deliberative and challenged Americans to return to the moral truths â€Å"upon which our success depends†. He does not clearly state his main claim until the end of the speech. He goes on to list these truths as, â€Å"honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty, and patriotism†. After listing these values and challenging Americans to return to them, he states, â€Å"[w]hat is required now of us is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world [. . .]†. He is leaving it up to American citizens to take responsibility to face the challenges of today by returning to principles of yesterday. Implicitly, Obama’s speech was an attempt to generate a sense of hope back into America. He chooses words such as ‘hope’, ‘unity’, and ‘peace’ in order to rhetorically soothe the audience. He delivers a powerful implicit message through his use of diction, tone, and vocal variety. The diction that Obama used in addit ion to tone and vocal variety created a powerful delivery that contributed to the success of his motives for speaking. By choosing to use particular words or phrases, Obama was able to convey his message more clearly and he was also able to affect the audience in a particular way. For example, near the beginning of the speech he says, â€Å"[t]he time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit†. This is another way of stating his explicit purpose. Telling the audience that they have an ‘enduring spirit’ is an attempt to encourage them to press on. Another example of this encouraging diction is when he says, â€Å"we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America†. This phrase received great reception from the audience because of the optimism it instilled. Not only did the specific words that he chose contribute to the success of his speech, but the way in which he delivered the words ultimately made the purpose of the speech successful. Throughout the duration of his speech, Obama maintained a clear, strong, confident voice that easil y projected across the magnificent crowd. He enunciated each word clearly and carefully and adjusted his tone appropriately with his speech. He also emphasized particular words in order to stress their significance. One particular example of this was when Obama was discussing our common defense and he said, â€Å"[a]nd we are ready to lead once more†, stressing each word separately and with great force. This is important because it gets the audience’s attention and not only focuses on his explicit purpose, but also implicitly creates optimism that generates hope into the crowd. In order to gain credibility with his audience, Obama had to first establish a positive ethos. Without credibility, Obama would not be able to achieve his primary purpose. He appeals to ethos when he opens his speech with â€Å"[m]y fellow citizens†. By putting himself on the same level as the people who had elected him President, he was able to gain their trust and respect. He does this again when he says â€Å"[. . .] We the Pe ople have remained faithful† only a few sentences later. Not only does Obama have to establish a positive ethos to accomplish his explicit purpose, he also needs to maintain a positive ethos. He does this successfully several times throughout his speech. One way in particular that he does this is by continuing to include himself with the American citizens. He does not blame the state of the economy on the government, citizens, or anyone else, but instead calls it â€Å"our collective failure to make hard choices†. He could easily point a finger at another political party, for example, but he does not, and that maintains his positive credibility. A final way in which Obama establishes and maintains a positive ethos is by addressing the opposing side. He discusses how they will criticize his plans and refutes it by saying, â€Å"[t]he question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works [. . .]†. By taking the opposing side into account, Obama demonstrates that he is well prepared and credible which enables him to achieve his explicit purpose. Obama also appeals to pathos through descriptive imagery in attempt to motivate people to return to old moral values. He discusses the Americans who have struggled, sacrificed, and persevered for generations and the examples that they are. For instance, he says,â€Å"[f]or us, they packed up [. . .] and traveled [. . .] [f]or us, they toiled in sweatshops [. . .] endured the lash of the whip [. . .] plowed the hard earth[. . .] [f]or us, they fought and died [. . .]†. His repeated use of â€Å"for us† is an example of anaphora and is significant because it reinforces the sacrifice behind the struggle. He wanted Americans to remember those in the past who had fought and endured for freedom and victory. By doing this, Obama further motivated his audience to return to old moral values and encouraged them to take responsibility to face the challenges of this age. In conclusion, Barack Obama’s diction, tone, and vocal variety contributed to an influential delivery that directly influenced the success of his implicit purpose of instilling optimism into the American people. By establishing and maintaining a positive ethos, Obama created a more receptive audience that was willing to hear what he had to say because of his recognized credibility. This enabled him to achieve his primary purpose of challenging Americans to return to old moral values and to take responsibility for themselves, their nation, and even the world. Finally, Obama appealed to pathos in an attempt to further challenge Americans by reminding them of brave Americans from the past who have struggled and sacrificed so that freedom could live on. Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address is quite successful when analyzing these elements because he effectively fit his message to the current economic circumstances and used suitable techniques to appeal to the audience.

stonewall jackson Essays -- essays research papers

General Thomas J. â€Å"STONEWALL† Jackson Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born January 21, 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia. While he was a child both of his parents were laid to rest. He was raised by his uncle, and moved to what is now, Jackson’s Mill, West Virginia. When he turned 18 years old, he was appointed to attend West Point. During the Mexican War, he was appointed to order the First Regular Artillery. At this time, Jackson started to become religious. He started to study the Bible, and joined the Presbyterian Church. In 1851 he accepted a teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, Virginia. He made this home for nearly 10 years. While he was there, he married Eleanor Junkin. She pasted away a little more than a year after they were married. He then married in ...

Legal Forms of Business Paper

Legal Forms of Business Paper Law/531 June 3rd, 2011 University of Phoenix Legal Forms of Business Paper Selecting the best form of operating a business depends on the type of business the owner wants to run. The owners have to pick the structure that best meets their needs. â€Å"The selection depends on many factors, including the ease and cost of formation, the capital requirements of the business, the flexibility of management decisions, government restrictions, personal liability, tax considerations, and the like† (Henry Cheeseman, 210, p. 529) Moreover, choosing the right form to run a business will also determine how the business is organized, how the cash flow is, and how the business is taxed. â€Å"The most common forms of business organization are: sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnerships, limited liability company, and corporation† (Henry Cheeseman, 210, p. 529). According to the situation given, the best form is limited partnership. Limited partnership refers to the types of owners the business will have, general (managers) and limited partners (investors). In this sense, Monica, and Susan will be the managers of the businesses because they both will operate the business with their skills, Susan with her computer graphics skills and Monica with her marketing skills. Whereas Vic will be the investor providing some capital to run the business, she will not be part of management; Vic will act as a passive investor. In limited partnership, managers have unlimited liability and the investors have liability to up the amount of their capital contributions. General partners will control everyday activities in the business. Monica and Susan will be responsible of the business debts as well. Despite, limited partnership is more complex than general partnership; this is the best form to meet Vic’s, Monica’s and Susan’s needs. Vic will have limited personal liability for business debts as long as she will not participate in management. Monica and Susan will have the possibility of raising money without involving outside investors once they can incorporate enough money to run the business by themselves. Sole proprietorship was precluded because the business will be run by Monica and Susan because they have the necessary skills to be successful entrepreneurs. In this scenario, Vic will provide capital and will take a passive role in managing the business, she sill obtain profits because of her involvement in the business. For not facing some problems among them, they will have to reach an agreement generally written to state how shares will be handled; this is common called a limited partnership agreement. â€Å"This agreement sets forth the rights and duties of the general and limited partners; the terms and conditions regarding the operations, termination, and dissolution of the partnership; and so on† (Henry Cheeseman, 210, p. 547). The limited partnership agreement will set forth the transactions that managers and investors can approve. This document also states the how earnings and losses will be distributed among the partners. Limited partners have also the right of being informed by general managers about the business performance and the business financial status. If Susan or Monica wants to admit a new partner, the new candidate to operate the business can be included if Vic approves this, unless the agreement document states otherwise. Limited partnership is easy to set up, and to appeal investors as limited partners. This agreement is good to set arrangements for general partners to use their skills, and to decision-making regarding the business. Limited partners can drop the business without the need for the limited partner to be dissolved. The business form of corporation was not selected because of the process of forming a corporation takes time and money, compared with the rest business forms. Corporations are often audited by the government and have to deal with more paperwork to comply with the regulations of the states in which the business will run. Also, in corporations dividends paid o shareholders are not deductible from the business income; it may turn out taxing this income twice. Corporation is a business form more expensive to create than sole proprietorship or partnership. There is more paperwork in corporation than other forms of business. Corporation carries several tax disadvantages, and pays taxes on its own income. Whereas limited liability partnership was not chosen because of the disadvantages it offers for this kind of business that Vic, Susan, and Monica want to run. Limited liability partnership is more expensive to create and to maintain than sole proprietorship and partnership. In this form of business if one partner leaves, the business is dissolved. Limited partnership is a good method for Vic, Susan, and Monica to use the limited partnership as a form of business because of the advantages it presents for their good. Through this business form, they can share the profits with a minimum of effort. This form is also easy to attract investors. Monica and Susan can raise additional capital because of the liability of limited partners. There is also less paperwork, and it is easier to manage than corporation. Selecting the best form of business is a strategic decision that entrepreneurs face. This is an important decision because of the implications it brings to the business, regarding its ongoing legal and tax consequences. The best form of business will depend on the business goals and many other factors with big impact on the business performance. Choosing the legal form is crucial to determine the organization and performance of any kind of business. Entrepreneurs must measure the pros and cons before undertaking any businesses. Word count: 901 Reference Cheeseman, H. (2010). Business Law (7th ed. ). Colorado, DE: Prentice Hall.

Serpico Ethical Issues Essay - 1517 Words

Serpico is about a New York police officer, Frank Serpico, or â€Å"Paco†, who got shot in the face for reporting police corruption in the New York Police Department (NYPD). Fellow officers did not help him when he was wounded. This movie portrayed real life events and factors that go on in our police forces today. There are a lot of ethical issues that go on in this movie. Men are beaten, punished, lied to, and deceived by police officers. Serpico testified against all police corruption and was left derelict in a crucial time of need. Officers today need to work together in a positive and ethical way in order to get their job done the right way. This film really grabbed my interest by depicting real life situations and corruption in today’s†¦show more content†¦Frank was very ethical in his work and allowed his fellow officers to have the arrest. It is very unethical for police officers to receive cash bribes and sell drugs in order to make extra money. Sellin g drugs and receiving bribes is certainly against the law and any officer who engages in such activity is not ethical. Frank Serpico went to his captain and the New York mayor about this corruption, but they did not do anything about it. It was also very unethical of Serpico’s partners to abandon him when he needed help and then got shot. These issues were finally resolved when Frank Serpico reported such activities to the press and it made front page in New York Times. The mayor, John Lindsay, was then forced to appoint the Knapp Commission to investigate the truth. Serpico testified against fellow police officers, breaking the â€Å"blue code of silence†, which is an unwritten rule among police officers not to report fellow officer wrongdoings, to the Knapp Commission on May 10, 1971. I hope that police officers in the future will not experience the same frustration and anxiety that I was subjected to for the past five years at the hands of my superiors because of my attempt to report corruption. We create an atmosphere in which the honest officer fears the dishonest officer, and not the other way around. The problem is that the atmosphere does not yet exist in which honestShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie Serpico 933 Words   |  4 PagesSerpico† is a film that based on the of New York City Police Officer named Frank Serpico and the difficult obstacles he had to face working for the NYPD. Serpico is a â€Å"cops cop† that had to deal with persuasive organized corruption, police crime, and ethical dilemmas etc. All these obstacles were hard for Serpico to work with on a daily basis. He refused to take bribes and his co-workers begin distrust him. Serpico informed his superiors about the corruption but they did nothing about it. 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