Mary
McAllister
Ms.
Gazso
AP
English
14
October 2014
Ronald Reagan’s address to the
nation “Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger”
on January 28, 1986 reflects on the Challenger disaster, working to instill
hope and solidarity in society, as well as building optimism for future
explorations.
Reagan demonstrates his ethos, as president
of the United States. He is expected to reassure the American people in times
of distress. Reagan speaks to the American people as a member of their
community, sharing with them the suffering for the Challenger failure and the
lives that were lost with it. Reagan personalizes the tragedy using the terms “us”
and “we” demonstrating that it is a shared burden that will bind the nation
together in solidarity.
Reagan establishes pathos first by
creating a shared sadness for the loss of the Challenger in order to create a
sense of unity and comfort among Americans. He then works to transform the
nation’s mourning into hope. He empowers the audience by describing the bravery
of explorers and their indispensability to progress.
Reagan uses logos by telling the
story of the explorer Sir Francis Drake to further enhance the importance of
explorers. Bravery and progress are inextricably tied. Society needs brave
individuals such as Sir Francis Drake or the Challenger crew in order to learn
and discover more about the universe.
Reagan’s address is successful in
that it argues a specific point and uses pathos, logos, and ethos to its
advantage. The address’ goal is clear; it gives the audience a sense of
solidarity, hope, optimism, and empowerment.
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