A Rhetorical Analysis of "Take Down This Wall"

            In his speech “Take Down This Wall”, Ronald Reagan persuasively uses arguments based on character to establish his credibility as a champion of democracy, arguments based on logic to substantiate his summons, and appeals to emotion to solidify his alliance to the values of Berliners and to freedom, in his call on Gorbachev to dismantle the Berlin Wall, advance peace, and promote openness in Berlin.  

The opening of Reagan’s speech is characterized by his appeals to the cultural and social values of Berliners, their enduring sense of alliance to Americans, and their understanding of Reagan’s vindication of democracy, all of which are purposed to gain the audience’s conviction. Reagan employs ethos in legitimizing his role as a speaker when he claims it is his “duty to speak, in this place, of freedom”, which further emphasizes his solidarity with the interests of Berliners. In addition, Reagan buys the approval of the audience by acknowledging and flattering the distinguishing characteristics of Berliners and their resilience in the face of Soviet incursion. These comments also serve to boost his credibility, since they reveal he is knowledgeable about events in Berlin from the perspective of Berliners. Finally, they resonate emotionally with the audience, since Reagan frames his case for liberty in terms of the personal values intimate to each Berliner. Not only does Reagan appeal to “Berliner Herz, Berliner Humor, und Berliner Schnauze” in defining these values as those that enabled Berlin to prevail over Soviet aggression, but he also extols the “message of hope” and the “message of triumph” manifested despite, or perhaps in spite of, the wall. These appeals further elicit pride and confidence from Berliners, and also bolster the closeness with which they hold these values. Reagan’s refutation of Soviet Communism and argument for political and economic freedom employ inductive reasoning: Reagan draws the conclusion that “freedom leads to prosperity” by mentioning factual examples that testify to the Wirtschaftswunder. Furthermore, Reagan’s mention of the freedom fostered by the Marshall Plan not only appeals to reason, but also supports the alliance between Berliners and Americans, thus appealing to the Berliners’ association of American diplomacy with the extension of freedom.
            After he establishes credibility, strikes an emotional chord with his audience of Berliners, and frames the main points of his argument using reasoning, Reagan makes three demands of the Soviet Union and its leader. In the line most remembered in history, Reagan calls for Gorbachev to “tear down this wall!” Reagan establishes a logical pathway for this line in the preceding two paragraphs, in which he discusses the purported “openness” evolving in the Soviet Union and nominates the dismantling of the wall as the best true measure of whether this openness is real. Similarly, the involved discussion about the arms reduction treaty then under negotiation is also handled with straightforward logical rhetoric. Reagan’s final plea to Gorbachev is an emotional appeal to “bring the Eastern and Western parts of the city together” through various international meetings, sporting events, and cultural exchanges.

            Reagan’s Berlin Wall speech concludes with arguments steeped in pathos as he entreats a population that he characterizes as resilient and tough to look to the future with an unshakeable faith in unity being restored to their city and country. Reagan eulogizes the love and worship characteristic of Berliners, issuing an appeal to their emotions by claiming that despite the callous nature of the totalitarian world, their love and worship cannot be muffled. Before he closes, Reagan invokes truth and faith in quoting a scrawled graffito stating “Beliefs become reality”. Following this allusion, Reagan uses anaphora to underscore the fragile makeup of the wall in its inability to withstand faith, truth, and freedom. This rhetorical device is a final move that draws on the feelings of the audience to prove to Berliners that their strength of character and of mind are powerful enough alone to topple the wall, regardless of the outcome of Gorbachev’s decision.