Amber Landing

Ms. Richard
Comp 2
1 February 2016
On September 11th, 2001 George W. Bush addressed the country with a powerful speech
in response to the threats that were made to our country on that day. George W. Bush gives the
country a sense of hope, confidence, and direction with this effective speech, and he
accomplished this by the use of the rhetorical elements ethos, logos,and pathos. This rhetorical
analysis will analyze these three elements of rhetoric and explain how ineffective or effective it
was.
We see pathos all throughout this speech and the use of repetition of the words we and
our make it more emotional and personal. Imagery is also an important element in this speech.
The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge -- huge structures collapsing
have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. In this quote he uses
imagery to enforce the element of pathos, you can almost see the crashing planes, fires, and
buildings falling, which makes it more effective. He is trying to create a sense of sorrow by
describing the event and showing how horrific it was. The imagery enhances the pathos because
picturing it makes it more sad and real. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve,
for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has
been threatened. This is another example of pathos and we see Brush bring in the family side
more. Bush was trying to touch our hearts and emotions by reminding us of the children whose
lives are now turned upside down, because of the loss of their parent or parents. He mentions

family to make it more personal and emotional because those children and family members were
most likely close to those people and that makes the impact is much greater. He uses repetition
and anaphora to make it more personal and it emphasizes how the attacks effected all of us
including himself. An example of this would be, Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our
very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The repetition
of our makes a huge difference in the impact of the personal touch in the sentence.
Ethos is another rhetorical element that impacted this speech in an important way. The
president establishes his credibility when he gives the sense that he is in charge and has resources
to find these attackers and punish them. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who
committed these acts and those who harbor them. He also uses ethos when he asks us to pray for
those effected, it is ethical and morally right, and it creates a sense of unity among us. He also
uses allusion Psalm 23: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no
evil for you are with me. He alludes to the bible which also points his morals.

Lastly Bush uses logos to employ logic. Our first priority is to get help to those who
have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the
world from further attacks. This show logos, because helping those who are injured should
always be a priority. It was also logical when he said that we will retaliate on those who did this,
sitting around and doing nothing isn't an option. We also have to act fast, because whoever did
this needs to know that American is strong and solid and not to be messed with.
The use of the rhetorical elements ethos, logos, and pathos make this speech effective and
powerful. Through the use logic, emotion and ethics Bush shows leadership and effectively gives

a speech that provides the people of the United States hope and confidence after very tragic a
event. Bush is very personal, yet stern and powerful in his encouragement. The people of the
United States should have definitely been motivated and felt a sense of security after Bushs
address.