Varghese 1

Ansu Mary Varghese

Eng. 121-072
Rhetoric Essay- Rough Draft
11/12/2018
Obama’s Inaugural Speech

On January 20, 2009 President Barack Obama on his Inaugural address called for a

change in the direction of America. He challenged all Americans to assume responsibility for

that change reminding them of their shared history of tribulations and accomplishments. Obama

did so using a now-familiar articulation and overall tone and language that helped place him in

the highest office offered in America. President Barack Obama added his inaugural statement on

January 20, 2009. President Obama used the categories of Ethos, Pathos and Logos to awaken

both American and global citizens to a new era of change and responsibility.

The main theme of the speech was the return to the American nation of the ideals of the founding

fathers and it touched every part of the speech, including the economy, the war and American

foreign relations. This promoted cohesion and easily followed speech. Ethos is a rhetorical

element found in speeches and represents the credibility or stature of the speaker to the person he

/ she speaks to. Ethos was created in Obama's speech, in which the whole speech was

remembered. In the art of speaking, memory is indeed important. The memorization of the

speech increases the credibility of the speaker and gives them a good picture of preparation and

organization. Memory also adds a lot to the speech delivery.

Obama’s immediate audience was both record-breaking in terms of sheer numbers and

enthusiasm. It is notable that Obama attempted to reach a global audience specifically calling

out to the Muslim world. Obama acknowledges and returns the faith and good will of his
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audience when he says, “I stand here…humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you

have bestowed…” (Obama, 2009). Here he cements ethos stating how humbled he is, showing

his courtesy and politeness to the people. His words also depict ethos when he shows his respect

for the foundation that had been laid down by the American fore fathers and the soldiers. The

President Obama embodies and symbolizes the very change he is calling for. Born in 1961, he is

the first post-baby boom president; much more importantly, as the first African- American

president, Obama breaks down many of the racial barriers and tensions that have stagnated in

America since its inception. An attractive and articulate product of Columbia University and

Harvard Law School, Obama brings to his presidency an avowed disaster for ' Washington-as-

usual politics' (Kantor, 2007). His open invitation and promise to listen to all ideas exemplifies

his desire to bring Democrats and Republicans much-needed unity. The care and interest that he

shows to his wife, Michelle and their two girls serve to make Obama a loving family man. In his

speech, Obama elicits a common sense of outrage and injustice with his pledge to end “false

promises” (2009). Further, displaying a knowledge and respect for Christian scripture he

emphasizes how as a nation, America must “set aside childish things” and assume responsibility

for the consequences of its actions (2009). He continues to remind his audience of the

accountability and costs of good citizenship—revealing that it is God who causes us to act

ethically—as a ‘good steward.’ Obama says how it is by “God’s grace” (2009) that we will bear

the prize of freedom into the future.

Ethos is also created when the President opens his speech by saying " I stand here today,

humbled by the task before us, grateful for the confidence you have placed in our ancestors '

sacrifices " ( 2009). Here he cements the ethos of how humble he is and shows the people his

courtesy and politeness. His words also illustrate ethos when he shows his respect for the
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foundations laid down by the American ancestors and the military. His speech builds his

credibility by recognizing his predecessors. When the President says, "... from the biggest

capitals to the small town where my father was born... “(2009), it acts as an ethos and continues

to build its credibility. When he says, "... whose father may not have been served in a local

restaurant less than 60 years ago, he can now stand before you to take the most sacred oath "

(2009). His credibility is strongly built.

It is said that these two statements show his humble beginnings and how far he has come.

It shows that his humble start did not act as a barrier to his dream of leading a great nation like

America. Together with others, the statements refer to segregation and slavery and to a dark time

in American history that most Americans feel emotionally attached. His statement that his father

was black would not have been served in a public restaurant, reached the American people

emotionally and helped to construct his ethos, since he refers not only to his father, but also to a

society that would have been separated. In addition, it shows that segregation would have taken

place in a country that it is now leading. The ethos used inspires the public with confidence and

creates identity for Obama.

Logos is the logic or reasoning handed by an author of a speech. There are also some

examples of the pathos appeal in Obama's address. In the first place, the pathos appeal is

expressed by reiterating our pronouns. The use of these pronouns shows that the people and

Obama have something in common and that they are working together to solve the problems and

achieve their objective. Obama also uses historical analogy to the people building up the USA to

emotion the audience. He tells the audience how hard they fought and worked to build up the

United States for them and tells them indirectly that they cannot let them down. These people

build all this for the future generations and the present generation must continue, even if times
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are difficult. Otherwise it would have been a waste for the former generations. In other words,

Obama uses pathos to make people feel accountable and fight for the country as his ancestors

did. Obama also used pathos when he said: " We promise to work with the people of poor

nations to make your farms flourish and let flow clean waters; to feed hungry bodies and feed

hungry minds " (2009). This also attracts the emotions of the audience, and you almost get a

picture of an African child crying for food and water in their minds.

Obama achieves an ethical and intellectual consensus among his audience by establishing

the need for major changes in both economic and military policy. Obama urges his audience to

remember how great America the result of hard work has always been; and how America, as a

nation of pioneers, innovators and survivors, has faced and overcome many obstacles. Obama

supports this claim by referring to America's wartime victories — and its slaves, immigrants,

farmers, and workers ' adversities. Furthermore, Obama recounts the losses of American jobs,

homes and businesses, as well as the increase in health care costs and the decrease in education

quality, claiming that these are " crisis indicators. " (2009 CNN.com). He clearly states that the

appropriate investigation should not concern the size of the government of America, but whether

or not the government serves the needs of its people successfully. Recognizing and responding to

the need to change the status quo of America, Obama says that, under his watch, progressive

programs will be balanced with accountability and assessment. In addition, he warns Wall Street

that similar measures are also being applied in its activities.

Obama is talking about an America full of courage, trust, energy and compassion. He

uses narrative to describe how past generations of Americans " faced fascism and communism...

with strong alliances and lasting convictions " (2009). By describing the tools and troubles of

America's founders, as well as the successes, Obama evokes a strong spirit of patriotism and
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pride. Furthermore, Obama uses haunting images such as “the fallen heroes who whisper through

the ages in Arlington” (2009 CNN.com) to the full while praising such core American values as

the virtue and love of freedom.

Furthermore, Obama referred to the historic social movements of women rights, racial

justice, and gay rights to appeal the audience emotionally. By doing so, Obama gained the

sympathy of the people that were oppressed from their rights. They found Obama caring to their

causes and felt a hope that their due rights would be given to them.

Obama utilized different rhetorical and linguistic techniques to make his

arguments persuasive and convincing. Obama made selection of his arguments very effectively

and wisely. Barack Obama's message in his speech is that through hope and change, we can pull

the country out of recession, and out of any difficult tasks we'll have ahead of us. What we have

achieved shows that we can achieve it again, and the only reason these feats were achieved was

because we were one nation working together. Obama successfully incorporate rhetoric in his

speech to make it emotional, believable, and logical. The inaugural address of President Barack

Obama is essentially a challenge for the US. It is an appeal for change and the beginning of a

new era of responsibility. With both the past and the future in mind, Obama uses the lessons of

history to show how American change has been accepted and how reliable it has been. Using

such Neo-Aristotelian reception tools as well as those of Ethos, Logos and Pathos — Obama

invites a global audience to share the challenges and successes of a new era in America
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Work Cited

Kantor, Jodi. “In Law School, Obama Found Political Voice.” The New York Times, The New

York Times, 28 Jan. 2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/us/politics/28obama.html.

Times, The New York. “President Barack Obama's Full Inauguration Speech 2009 | The New

York Times.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 Jan. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-

1ljmtaibC4.

Obama, Barack. (2009, January 20). The 44th Presidential Inauguration. CNN.com. Retrieved

February 4, 2009 from http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.politics/.