Read this awesome speech. What rhetorical strategies does Reagan employ to convey his feeling about the tragedy that caught the country so off guard? Complete a rhetorical analysis of the speech.
Ronald Reagan delivered the speech of "Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger Address to the Nation, January 28, 1986" on January 28, 1986. This was done to address a distraught American nation father watching 7 astronauts die while take off. This was broadcasted on live television and many many people saw it. Reagan offers sympathy especially when talking to the children who saw it, " And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery." He makes a special not to console them because they are the next generation of America and he does not want them to turn their heads the other way. He understands that their generation can not be turned off by this event; they were the key to a future in space. Reagan makes the audience know that's this event troubled him personally by using the phrase "My wife and I." This allows him to become directly involved with the topic at hand and show how he feels Americas pain. While offering sympathy, he also makes a point to tell us that the astronauts knew the risks and even though they were killed it helped us get one step forward. He does not want to end the exploration because he knows how important it is for America. Reagan takes special time to thank the astronauts for their bravery, "Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy."" This calls the audience to have that courageous spirit that they did and to understand that they knew that they were willing to die for the cause. To close the speech Reagan tells the Americans that we will not end our space mission, "We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue." This serves as a reminder that we can not quit now because seven people already sacrificed their lives for us and we can not stop now; we were on the brink of something amazing. This speech addressed everyone with sympathy while reminding Americans of the mission we had hoped to accomplish. "The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God." This last line is used as a farewell to those 7 people who died for the sake of scientific discovery and that they would never be forgotten.
Mackenzie, I like your last paragraph the best. I like how you explain in detail what Reagan is trying to portray in this speech. Your blog makes us understand that we are suppose to sympathize with Reagan in this speech.
Makenzie, Your blog is filled with many quotes from Reagan's speech to show how he uses strategies to consume the audience. I really liked how you did that. Good blog!
Makenzie, I like how you included many quotes in your blog and also gave reasoning of why Reagan might have included the particular quotes in his "Challenger Speech." I also admire how you implied that even though this accident happened, America was not going to give up on the research and space travel during this time.
Mackenzie, I love how you chose to describe President Reagan's emotions in the speech, and how he wanted to connect with the people of America. But I did not agree with how you said that he didn't want to console the children so they would turn a blind eye to the accident. No, he simply wanted them to understand that these things happen and that it is normal to mourn a loss of life, but we all eventually move on with time. Everyone can be consoled and still not turn away from these sorts of things. I also love how you used many quotes to prove a point in your post, yet you could have done a better job to better explain in greater details after quoting the speech. Other than those two things, you did a wonderful job and please keep it up.
Makenzie, I enjoyed reading your blog. You used copious quotes from Reagan's speech to show how he connected with the audience. I also liked how you emphasized that Reagan felt sympathy about the tragedy, but that they weren't stopping space travel.
Mackenzie, You did well with giving lots of examples. Your paragraphs are efficiently put together as well. The only problem I see is the lack of evidence to go along with your examples. By that I mean whether the author used pathos, logos, or ethos. Despite that, your paragraphs are well put together.
I think you did an excellent job picking out the key and important points like: Reagan's personal connection with the US and the fact that he was honoring the astronauts in their dedication to progress in the space program. The only real nitpick I had was the fact that you used the title, which had the date in it, and then restated the date in which the speech took place.
Mackenzie, You did a wonderful job analyzing the speech and identifying why he may have chosen the literary devices that he used. Drawing quotes from the work enabled you to give specific examples that demonstrated the points you were trying to convey. While your essay was well structured, there were a few grammatical errors that could have been avoided by simply proofreading. This was very well-written for the most part, good job!
Ronald Reagan begins the speech by admitting that he had other plans for the agenda of the night. This was a great way to start things off as he has now shown the sympathy and shock that he feels with the country. This introduction will calm the masses as well as spark their attention. With any speech about a tragedy, Reagan has a strong appeal to pathos. He makes the nation feel comfort in their sadness, but also gives a sense of patriotism and togetherness. The country is mourning losses, but they are united through their common emotions. He then makes the audience proud of the astronauts in the accident. Reagan brings all these elements together when he gives the names of the astronauts. By doing so, it makes the events of that day that much more real and painful. All those whose were killed had wives, husbands, children, parent, brothers, sisters, or friends. They decided to take a chance in order to better the world of science. From their deaths and sacrifice, came a plentiful amount of information that was used to prevent a similar disaster from ever happening again. Reagan focuses on their service to the entire country, not only as a means to comfort their families, but to put the accident into perspective. When he comforts the schoolchildren, he also manages to continue to comfort the entire country. He admits that it is a complicated situation and it is not easy to understand. It is part of the process of learning and exploration; taking a chance and exploring the world. Those who take chances will lead the world into the future. Everybody, regardless of age, had trouble processing this event. Through his words, Reagan comforts the entire country. He turns the horror of the day into a story of inspiration and heroism. His tone still remains optimistic about the future of the science program. The space program is not at fault for the accident, but rather it was an event of chance. Near the end, Reagan compares the incident to that of Francis Drake. Like him, the challenger crew will be remember in history for their dedication and bravery. The ending of the speech is the strongest point, even though not everybody today understands the reference. The bonds of Earth and the face of God are the beginning and end lines of a poem called High Flight by John Magee. The poem is one that was a favorite of astronauts and appeared in many forms of media. This invokes strong emotion as it talks about the afterlife of the crew. Through this ending, he wraps all the emotion, patriotism, and pride together with the reference.
Justin, Your blog is very similar to my own. One thing you brought up was the poem by John Magee. You did a good analysis of the usage of this small excerpt in Reagan's speech. I agree with you, Reagan relies mostly on pathos to comfort our nation's citizens on this terrible tragedy.
Justin, You did a good job on your rhetorical analysis. I like how you talk about tragedy being difficult for all ages. You also went a little further and looked up the poem from John Magee and tied together the entire speech. Good job!
Your blog conveyed all of Reagan's intentions to comfort the mourning nation as well as change their perspective to something optimistic. I love how you wrote in a way that is understandable to any age group. You analyze every single aspect of Reagan's speech, which helped me comprehend it better. My favorite part of this blog is, "He makes the nation feel comfort in their sadness, but also gives a sense of patriotism and togetherness." To me, that is exactly what Reagan wanted to accomplish and he did just that. Great blog.
On January 28, 1986, seven families were changed forever. The Challenger space shuttle had erupted into flames and crashed into the ocean. On this day, Reagan had planned on giving a speech on the State of the Union, but quickly changed his plans when this event occurred. Throughout his speech on the tragic event, President Reagan conveys empathy and condolences to the reader. He focuses mainly on pathos, while also establishing logos and tone throughout the piece. Reagan says, "Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger." This quote shows how personally connected he is to this horrific event. Often times, he uses the word "we" to show relation between Americans. For example he states, "We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together." In doing this, he groups the country together as one. This appeals to pathos. When tragedy strikes, America knows how to band together and help each other out. Reagan also expresses his condolences and compassion for the affected families. He explains how he "cannot bear the full impact of this tragedy" and how we will forever mourn these honorable men and women. As the piece goes on, Reagan addresses the schoolchildren. He says, "I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen." He acts like a parent explaining why bad things happen. I believe this is also directed towards the adults as loss is a hard situation to cope with. To acknowledge these children shows that he sees this as an extremely important yet terrible event. He treats the loss of these people as if it was his within his own family. This appeal to pathos shows how much he truly cared about the people of the United States. Reagan often appeals to logos, especially when he addresses NASA. He states, "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it." When expressing this, Reagan explains his experiences with NASA. He also brings up when Sir Francis Drake died on his ship on the coast of Panama. He equates this to those who were killed aboard the Challenger, saying how their mission was complete doing what they loved. Reagan's tone is informative and compassionate. With this being said, he is also positive towards the future. He says, "We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue." It is evident throughout the whole speech that President Reagan is personally connected to the tragedy, and wants to extend comfort to the country. Patriotism and optimism exude from his words. Through his use of rhetorical strategy, Reagan succeeds in relating to those affected by the tragedy.
Kara, You do a very good job incorporation quotes into your rhetorical analysis. Your analysis is very detailed and flows really nicely. I like how you talk of Ronald Reagan acting like a parent and how he directs his comment to the schoolchildren and to adults, because I do agree that it's part of his rhetoric that he adresses children and that it also connects to adults. Good job on your blog!
Kara, You did a good job bringing pathos and quotes into your blog. You make it very clear why it is important as to what he said. Also, you did a good job opening up the topic! Good blog!
Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United Stares and one of the most successful and impressive ones our nation has ever had, and he proves this by what he says in this speech. Throughout this speech Ronald expresses great gratitude and a positive attitude even in this unpredictable and horrendous situation. That day he planned to give his State of the Union Address, but instead switches to talk about the shuttle Challenger. This makes the people of America understand that he actually cares about the nation rather than himself. The live event of this takeoff cursed the eyes of thousands of Americans. Schoolchildren, parents, and the families of the victims all saw this tortuous event live on television. Ronald wanted to address these people directly and sympathetically to make sure they understand that they would not stray alone in this dark period of their lives. He states in the speech that, "For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us." This quote is so important to the readers and listeners. As a president, one must make sure that the American people feel like they are important and that is exactly what Reagan does. Also, he brings up history and examples of devastating events that happened before and how our country overcame those. He talks about Sir Francis Drake and how he died on a costal mission. Many people dealt with his death with honor and dignity and that is how Ronald Reagan wanted to treat these victims. In this address he states, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete." Reagan used the way he spoke to the victims families to let the nation know how this disaster and how every disaster after this should be treated. At the end of the this letter he makes their deaths seem more beautiful and more caring. He talks about how these victims will touch the face of God. This speech is full of feeling, national pride, and the dignity of man. This speech exhibits the beauty and feeling that words can create.
Reilly, The beginning of your second paragraph is very strong because you write about the importance of those affected. Reagan did make everyone feel like an important asset to the country and honored those who risked their lives. You brought up how he changed the topic of his because he cared about the country rather than himself, which is something that I did not think about. Good blog!
Reilly, Like Kara said, your second paragraph was your strongest. You relayed into your writing the ideas and comments of Reagan's speech. Your quotes you included hit home well and it flowed good. Regains speech envies a lot of emotion and you showed that well.
Reilly, I like how you start out your essay with some background information and skillfully transition into the point of your essay. You used many quotes from the speech in your essay which supported your thoughts and made it clear what you were referencing. Your second paragraph is very strong and your word choice gives very vivid imagery of what everyone went through on that day. Good blog!
Reilly, I believe you did a great job in the first paragraph at acknowledging that this is a monumental and very important speech. Another thing you do an awesome job at is showing that Reagan wanted everybody to know that they were in this together. The only thing that doesn't make this perfect is the repetition of certain words. Outside of that, amazing job.
On January 28, 1986 the space shuttle Challenger exploded taking the lives of seven Americans. President Ronald W. Reagan addressed the nation after these events took place. Reagan begins his address by statin, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering." By beginning the address with this, Reagan establishes pathos when saying today should be spent for mourning and remembering the brave men and women who lost their lives. Next Reagan says, "Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss." When saying this, Reagan not only displays how deeply he and and his wife have been effected by this news, but how deeply effected the whole country is. Next, Reagan names each of the seven individuals who died separately, and refers to them as heroes. By doing this, Reagan gives the families who lost their loved ones a sense of pride during a rough time, and assures them that their brave and daring actions will not be forgotten, but remembered as actions of heroes are. Reagan appeals to logos by saying, "For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much." Reagan references those who were involved in the Challenger project as pioneers, and attempts to assure the young people who witnessed the live broadcast of the explosion that America has a bright future in regards to space exploration. Reagan states that there will be more shuttles and launches in our country by saying, "We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue." Reagan lastly speaks to those working at NASA directly and says we as a country share in their dedication and professionalism that has moved and impressed our nation for decades. Reagan has a compassionate, but reassuring tone throughout his address. In a time of great hardship and sadness, Ronald Reagan delivered one of the single greatest speeches in the history of our great nation.
Frank, I believe you hit all of the strong point and rhetorical strategies that Reagan used within his letter. You usage of quotes was also helpful in picking out actual references to the rhetorical strategies. I too agree with you, and everyone else, that the most occurring rhetorical strategy used was pathos. Great blog.
You managed to analyze all the major point in the speech. You focused mainly on the pathos and symphathy Reagan used to relate to the people. He reassured the nation and is determined to keep the nation calm and the space program going. Every discovery has its struggles and you used that as a good supporting example.
Frank, I like how you made sure to use the more meaningful quotes that better display the rhetorical devices used. You also accurately infered Reagans purpose and meaning. Good blog.
This speech by Ronald W. Reagan was rhetorically great. He connected emotionally with the entire nation using pathos and other rhetorical strategies. This whole piece largely uses pathos. For example, he uses "we" when he talks instead of "I." This shows that he is one of the people who was affected by the tragedy. He is not their president while he gives this speech, he is just another person who was affected by the explosion. My personal favorite part of the speech is when Reagan uses pathos to sympathize with the children of America and the world, "And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery." The purpose of Reagan doing this is so this one isolated incident won't further dissuade these children from not being in favor for space exploration, so that they still grow up and want to know more about the wonders of our universe. He also establishes pathos through naming all the member of the Challenger crew. By honoring the names of all these members Reagan establishes a personal connection to these people. Reagan also uses historical reference when he speaks about Sir Francis Drake, comparing the Challenger crew to Drake, for they are true pioneers of the era. His comparison of the Challenger crew to Drake gives the crew a sense of purpose to the American people. They were a part of something that changed everyone's lives , just like how Drake changed so many lives in his time. Another historical reference is when Reagan mentions the Apollo 1 accident. He relates these two incidents and to show how this accident differed from the last. Compared to Apollo 1, Challenger failed while it was in flight, not while it was still on the launch pad. Reagan makes an appeal to freedom, saying that we don't keep secrets and we don't try to cover things up. He is trying to earn the trust of the American people.
I think did you did a good job rhetorically analyzing this speech by Ronald Reagan. I think when you say that Reagan is not there president, but just another person affected by the explosion is spot on. I find that comment to be fantastic. Reagan did not draw any attention to himself as the president, but rather he focused all attention on the "heroes" and their families who were directly affected by the explosion.
Ronald Reagan's speech following the Challenger tragedy is truly amazing. The country was facing a tough time and the speech he delivered was a delicate and graceful, yet inspiring way to help the people cope with what had happened. The whole speech shows how much he cared and just how he felt for the people of the United States. He starts off saying how there has been a change in the agenda because his speech was to be on a completely different subject. This change proves that he thought of the citizens and how in this time of sadness and grief, he needed to be be a strong role model and be a person of support that to country could look up to. He continues by sharing his condolences from he and his wife telling how this tragedy has made them feel. Reagan also takes time to remember all those who died and their families, saying how the entire country is keeping them in their thoughts. He adds some inspiration into the speech when he addresses the sacrifice the crew made and the bravery it must have taken to join the expedition and explore space as pioneers. This inspiration shows that these men and women did not die in vain, they died for a cause they felt very strongly about and were searching for answers. Reagan takes a moment in the speech to address the children who witnessed the explosion on television. He wants them to know that sometimes the unimaginable happens and although it is a tragedy, advancement and the future is dangerous, we as a nation can overcome this tragedy and move forward, making sure this does not happen again. By addressing the children, he is talking directly to the youth and future of our country and basically preparing them for the future and what is possible. The overall tone of this speech is somber, but there are moments of national pride and hope that shine through. The emotion in this speech is almost overwhelming. The Challenger explosion took place 30 years ago, and it is something I knew little about. However, this speech, years later, is still able to evoke the same emotions it did back then for many people. This speech is a work of art, and was able to make me feel what was happening in the country simply by reading it. I'm sure President Reagan's delivery of the speech was even more emotional to witness than to read.
Your concluding paragraph is great. I too, knew very little about the challenger until learning about it this year in physics class. I felt while reading it as if it happened today. Your comment about it still being able too evoke the same emotions it did back then is very true. When you mention that these men and women did not die in vain, but rather they died for a cause they felt strong about I think your absolutely correct and that the families should be satisfied knowing this.
On January 28th, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded upon takeoff killing astronauts; Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and school teacher Sharon Christa McAuliffe. This event was viewed by many, including schoolchildren, who tuned in to watch the takeoff. This unfortunate tragedy called for former President, Ronald Reagan, to address the issue. Reagan answered the call with his famous speech, "Shuttle `Challenger' Disaster Address", which he not only addressed the issue, but he comforted those who viewed it, commemorated the brave astronauts for their service, and encouraged future space quest. Ronald Reagan states that, "For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do the full impact of this tragedy." He puts himself at the same level as family to show that his sympathy is just as heartfelt as the family of the seven. He goes on to talk about how they, the astronauts, died a brave and courageous death while doing something they love; they died as "pioneers". Afterwards, he addresses the youth that were watching; "And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take-off." He acknowledges them because the youth are the next-generation workers of this country. Also by addressing the schoolchildren, he creates a sense of comfort to his audience.He goes on to talk about the connection between Sir Francis Drake and the astronauts, to show that their dedication, even though it led to their death, was not in vain. It was a stepping stone for future exploration. Overall, throughout his whole speech he is empathizing with those affected by this event, while still getting his main message across. He indicates that we are pained because of the lost, we recognize the loss, and we will move on from this event and look on toward the future.
San Man, We had many of the same points, such as Reagan comforting the people of America. I like how you mentioned the comparison of Sir Francis Drake, I found that very interesting. Good job!
Instead of reading I chose to look on YouTube for Ronald Reagan’s speech on Challenger Space Shuttle tragedy, I think you get more of a feel for the emotion than if you read it. Reagan changed the whole speech due to the shuttle crash prior in the day. First, he mentions his wife Nancy and the sympathy they have for the families of ones lost. Reagan says “we” twenty-two times in the speech. By him referring to we, he made the viewers are home feel apart of something, and that is America.
Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe were the seven crewmembers that died in the Challenger Tragedy. Once of these crewmembers was a schoolteacher; many schools around the country were watching the shuttle takeoff live. Reagan addressed these students individually, “I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.” Reagan wanted the students to not be frightened on what they could have seen on the television screen, but rather motivated, like he seemed, to continue their legacy and the work in the space program.
Some Presidents have a way of speaking to people that is soothing and calming. Reagan had this ability; his words were short and to the point, but always making the people feel apart of something much larger. Isn’t it amazing one person can bring the whole country back together? What do you think our president would say if this would happen today?
I think it was really smart to watch a video of the speech instead of reading it. Like you said, it put pathos on a whole new level. I did not notice how often he said "we" in the speech, but making a point of that was a very strong argument. You end the blog by asking rehetorical and thought provoking questions yourself!
Ronald Reagan delivered the speech of "Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger Address to the Nation, January 28, 1986" on January 28, 1986. This was done to address a distraught American nation father watching 7 astronauts die while take off. This was broadcasted on live television and many many people saw it. Reagan offers sympathy especially when talking to the children who saw it, " And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery." He makes a special not to console them because they are the next generation of America and he does not want them to turn their heads the other way. He understands that their generation can not be turned off by this event; they were the key to a future in space.
ReplyDeleteReagan makes the audience know that's this event troubled him personally by using the phrase "My wife and I." This allows him to become directly involved with the topic at hand and show how he feels Americas pain. While offering sympathy, he also makes a point to tell us that the astronauts knew the risks and even though they were killed it helped us get one step forward. He does not want to end the exploration because he knows how important it is for America. Reagan takes special time to thank the astronauts for their bravery, "Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy."" This calls the audience to have that courageous spirit that they did and to understand that they knew that they were willing to die for the cause.
To close the speech Reagan tells the Americans that we will not end our space mission, "We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue." This serves as a reminder that we can not quit now because seven people already sacrificed their lives for us and we can not stop now; we were on the brink of something amazing. This speech addressed everyone with sympathy while reminding Americans of the mission we had hoped to accomplish. "The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God." This last line is used as a farewell to those 7 people who died for the sake of scientific discovery and that they would never be forgotten.
Mackenzie,
DeleteI like your last paragraph the best. I like how you explain in detail what Reagan is trying to portray in this speech. Your blog makes us understand that we are suppose to sympathize with Reagan in this speech.
Makenzie,
DeleteYour blog is filled with many quotes from Reagan's speech to show how he uses strategies to consume the audience. I really liked how you did that. Good blog!
Makenzie,
DeleteI like how you included many quotes in your blog and also gave reasoning of why Reagan might have included the particular quotes in his "Challenger Speech." I also admire how you implied that even though this accident happened, America was not going to give up on the research and space travel during this time.
Mackenzie,
DeleteI love how you chose to describe President Reagan's emotions in the speech, and how he wanted to connect with the people of America. But I did not agree with how you said that he didn't want to console the children so they would turn a blind eye to the accident. No, he simply wanted them to understand that these things happen and that it is normal to mourn a loss of life, but we all eventually move on with time. Everyone can be consoled and still not turn away from these sorts of things.
I also love how you used many quotes to prove a point in your post, yet you could have done a better job to better explain in greater details after quoting the speech. Other than those two things, you did a wonderful job and please keep it up.
Makenzie,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. You used copious quotes from Reagan's speech to show how he connected with the audience. I also liked how you emphasized that Reagan felt sympathy about the tragedy, but that they weren't stopping space travel.
Mackenzie,
DeleteYou did well with giving lots of examples. Your paragraphs are efficiently put together as well. The only problem I see is the lack of evidence to go along with your examples. By that I mean whether the author used pathos, logos, or ethos. Despite that, your paragraphs are well put together.
I think you did an excellent job picking out the key and important points like: Reagan's personal connection with the US and the fact that he was honoring the astronauts in their dedication to progress in the space program. The only real nitpick I had was the fact that you used the title, which had the date in it, and then restated the date in which the speech took place.
DeleteMackenzie,
DeleteYou did a wonderful job analyzing the speech and identifying why he may have chosen the literary devices that he used. Drawing quotes from the work enabled you to give specific examples that demonstrated the points you were trying to convey. While your essay was well structured, there were a few grammatical errors that could have been avoided by simply proofreading. This was very well-written for the most part, good job!
Ronald Reagan begins the speech by admitting that he had other plans for the agenda of the night. This was a great way to start things off as he has now shown the sympathy and shock that he feels with the country. This introduction will calm the masses as well as spark their attention. With any speech about a tragedy, Reagan has a strong appeal to pathos. He makes the nation feel comfort in their sadness, but also gives a sense of patriotism and togetherness. The country is mourning losses, but they are united through their common emotions. He then makes the audience proud of the astronauts in the accident. Reagan brings all these elements together when he gives the names of the astronauts. By doing so, it makes the events of that day that much more real and painful. All those whose were killed had wives, husbands, children, parent, brothers, sisters, or friends. They decided to take a chance in order to better the world of science. From their deaths and sacrifice, came a plentiful amount of information that was used to prevent a similar disaster from ever happening again. Reagan focuses on their service to the entire country, not only as a means to comfort their families, but to put the accident into perspective. When he comforts the schoolchildren, he also manages to continue to comfort the entire country. He admits that it is a complicated situation and it is not easy to understand. It is part of the process of learning and exploration; taking a chance and exploring the world. Those who take chances will lead the world into the future. Everybody, regardless of age, had trouble processing this event. Through his words, Reagan comforts the entire country. He turns the horror of the day into a story of inspiration and heroism. His tone still remains optimistic about the future of the science program. The space program is not at fault for the accident, but rather it was an event of chance. Near the end, Reagan compares the incident to that of Francis Drake. Like him, the challenger crew will be remember in history for their dedication and bravery. The ending of the speech is the strongest point, even though not everybody today understands the reference. The bonds of Earth and the face of God are the beginning and end lines of a poem called High Flight by John Magee. The poem is one that was a favorite of astronauts and appeared in many forms of media. This invokes strong emotion as it talks about the afterlife of the crew. Through this ending, he wraps all the emotion, patriotism, and pride together with the reference.
ReplyDeleteJustin,
DeleteYour blog is very similar to my own. One thing you brought up was the poem by John Magee. You did a good analysis of the usage of this small excerpt in Reagan's speech. I agree with you, Reagan relies mostly on pathos to comfort our nation's citizens on this terrible tragedy.
Justin,
DeleteYou did a good job on your rhetorical analysis. I like how you talk about tragedy being difficult for all ages. You also went a little further and looked up the poem from John Magee and tied together the entire speech. Good job!
Justin,
DeleteYour blog conveyed all of Reagan's intentions to comfort the mourning nation as well as change their perspective to something optimistic. I love how you wrote in a way that is understandable to any age group. You analyze every single aspect of Reagan's speech, which helped me comprehend it better. My favorite part of this blog is, "He makes the nation feel comfort in their sadness, but also gives a sense of patriotism and togetherness." To me, that is exactly what Reagan wanted to accomplish and he did just that. Great blog.
On January 28, 1986, seven families were changed forever. The Challenger space shuttle had erupted into flames and crashed into the ocean. On this day, Reagan had planned on giving a speech on the State of the Union, but quickly changed his plans when this event occurred. Throughout his speech on the tragic event, President Reagan conveys empathy and condolences to the reader. He focuses mainly on pathos, while also establishing logos and tone throughout the piece.
ReplyDeleteReagan says, "Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger." This quote shows how personally connected he is to this horrific event. Often times, he uses the word "we" to show relation between Americans. For example he states, "We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together." In doing this, he groups the country together as one. This appeals to pathos. When tragedy strikes, America knows how to band together and help each other out. Reagan also expresses his condolences and compassion for the affected families. He explains how he "cannot bear the full impact of this tragedy" and how we will forever mourn these honorable men and women. As the piece goes on, Reagan addresses the schoolchildren. He says, "I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen." He acts like a parent explaining why bad things happen. I believe this is also directed towards the adults as loss is a hard situation to cope with. To acknowledge these children shows that he sees this as an extremely important yet terrible event. He treats the loss of these people as if it was his within his own family. This appeal to pathos shows how much he truly cared about the people of the United States.
Reagan often appeals to logos, especially when he addresses NASA. He states, "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it." When expressing this, Reagan explains his experiences with NASA. He also brings up when Sir Francis Drake died on his ship on the coast of Panama. He equates this to those who were killed aboard the Challenger, saying how their mission was complete doing what they loved. Reagan's tone is informative and compassionate. With this being said, he is also positive towards the future. He says, "We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue." It is evident throughout the whole speech that President Reagan is personally connected to the tragedy, and wants to extend comfort to the country. Patriotism and optimism exude from his words. Through his use of rhetorical strategy, Reagan succeeds in relating to those affected by the tragedy.
Kara,
DeleteYou do a very good job incorporation quotes into your rhetorical analysis. Your analysis is very detailed and flows really nicely. I like how you talk of Ronald Reagan acting like a parent and how he directs his comment to the schoolchildren and to adults, because I do agree that it's part of his rhetoric that he adresses children and that it also connects to adults. Good job on your blog!
Kara,
DeleteYou did a good job bringing pathos and quotes into your blog. You make it very clear why it is important as to what he said. Also, you did a good job opening up the topic! Good blog!
Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United Stares and one of the most successful and impressive ones our nation has ever had, and he proves this by what he says in this speech. Throughout this speech Ronald expresses great gratitude and a positive attitude even in this unpredictable and horrendous situation. That day he planned to give his State of the Union Address, but instead switches to talk about the shuttle Challenger. This makes the people of America understand that he actually cares about the nation rather than himself.
ReplyDeleteThe live event of this takeoff cursed the eyes of thousands of Americans. Schoolchildren, parents, and the families of the victims all saw this tortuous event live on television. Ronald wanted to address these people directly and sympathetically to make sure they understand that they would not stray alone in this dark period of their lives. He states in the speech that, "For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us." This quote is so important to the readers and listeners. As a president, one must make sure that the American people feel like they are important and that is exactly what Reagan does. Also, he brings up history and examples of devastating events that happened before and how our country overcame those. He talks about Sir Francis Drake and how he died on a costal mission. Many people dealt with his death with honor and dignity and that is how Ronald Reagan wanted to treat these victims. In this address he states, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete."
Reagan used the way he spoke to the victims families to let the nation know how this disaster and how every disaster after this should be treated. At the end of the this letter he makes their deaths seem more beautiful and more caring. He talks about how these victims will touch the face of God. This speech is full of feeling, national pride, and the dignity of man. This speech exhibits the beauty and feeling that words can create.
Reilly,
DeleteThe beginning of your second paragraph is very strong because you write about the importance of those affected. Reagan did make everyone feel like an important asset to the country and honored those who risked their lives. You brought up how he changed the topic of his because he cared about the country rather than himself, which is something that I did not think about. Good blog!
Reilly,
DeleteLike Kara said, your second paragraph was your strongest. You relayed into your writing the ideas and comments of Reagan's speech. Your quotes you included hit home well and it flowed good. Regains speech envies a lot of emotion and you showed that well.
Reilly,
DeleteI like how you start out your essay with some background information and skillfully transition into the point of your essay. You used many quotes from the speech in your essay which supported your thoughts and made it clear what you were referencing. Your second paragraph is very strong and your word choice gives very vivid imagery of what everyone went through on that day. Good blog!
Reilly,
DeleteI believe you did a great job in the first paragraph at acknowledging that this is a monumental and very important speech. Another thing you do an awesome job at is showing that Reagan wanted everybody to know that they were in this together. The only thing that doesn't make this perfect is the repetition of certain words. Outside of that, amazing job.
On January 28, 1986 the space shuttle Challenger exploded taking the lives of seven Americans. President Ronald W. Reagan addressed the nation after these events took place. Reagan begins his address by statin, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering." By beginning the address with this, Reagan establishes pathos when saying today should be spent for mourning and remembering the brave men and women who lost their lives. Next Reagan says, "Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss." When saying this, Reagan not only displays how deeply he and and his wife have been effected by this news, but how deeply effected the whole country is. Next, Reagan names each of the seven individuals who died separately, and refers to them as heroes. By doing this, Reagan gives the families who lost their loved ones a sense of pride during a rough time, and assures them that their brave and daring actions will not be forgotten, but remembered as actions of heroes are. Reagan appeals to logos by saying, "For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much." Reagan references those who were involved in the Challenger project as pioneers, and attempts to assure the young people who witnessed the live broadcast of the explosion that America has a bright future in regards to space exploration. Reagan states that there will be more shuttles and launches in our country by saying, "We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue." Reagan lastly speaks to those working at NASA directly and says we as a country share in their dedication and professionalism that has moved and impressed our nation for decades. Reagan has a compassionate, but reassuring tone throughout his address. In a time of great hardship and sadness, Ronald Reagan delivered one of the single greatest speeches in the history of our great nation.
ReplyDeleteFrank,
DeleteI believe you hit all of the strong point and rhetorical strategies that Reagan used within his letter. You usage of quotes was also helpful in picking out actual references to the rhetorical strategies. I too agree with you, and everyone else, that the most occurring rhetorical strategy used was pathos. Great blog.
You managed to analyze all the major point in the speech. You focused mainly on the pathos and symphathy Reagan used to relate to the people. He reassured the nation and is determined to keep the nation calm and the space program going. Every discovery has its struggles and you used that as a good supporting example.
DeleteFrank,
DeleteI like how you made sure to use the more meaningful quotes that better display the rhetorical devices used. You also accurately infered Reagans purpose and meaning. Good blog.
This speech by Ronald W. Reagan was rhetorically great. He connected emotionally with the entire nation using pathos and other rhetorical strategies. This whole piece largely uses pathos. For example, he uses "we" when he talks instead of "I." This shows that he is one of the people who was affected by the tragedy. He is not their president while he gives this speech, he is just another person who was affected by the explosion. My personal favorite part of the speech is when Reagan uses pathos to sympathize with the children of America and the world, "And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery." The purpose of Reagan doing this is so this one isolated incident won't further dissuade these children from not being in favor for space exploration, so that they still grow up and want to know more about the wonders of our universe. He also establishes pathos through naming all the member of the Challenger crew. By honoring the names of all these members Reagan establishes a personal connection to these people. Reagan also uses historical reference when he speaks about Sir Francis Drake, comparing the Challenger crew to Drake, for they are true pioneers of the era. His comparison of the Challenger crew to Drake gives the crew a sense of purpose to the American people. They were a part of something that changed everyone's lives , just like how Drake changed so many lives in his time. Another historical reference is when Reagan mentions the Apollo 1 accident. He relates these two incidents and to show how this accident differed from the last. Compared to Apollo 1, Challenger failed while it was in flight, not while it was still on the launch pad. Reagan makes an appeal to freedom, saying that we don't keep secrets and we don't try to cover things up. He is trying to earn the trust of the American people.
ReplyDeleteI think did you did a good job rhetorically analyzing this speech by Ronald Reagan. I think when you say that Reagan is not there president, but just another person affected by the explosion is spot on. I find that comment to be fantastic. Reagan did not draw any attention to himself as the president, but rather he focused all attention on the "heroes" and their families who were directly affected by the explosion.
DeleteRonald Reagan's speech following the Challenger tragedy is truly amazing. The country was facing a tough time and the speech he delivered was a delicate and graceful, yet inspiring way to help the people cope with what had happened.
ReplyDeleteThe whole speech shows how much he cared and just how he felt for the people of the United States. He starts off saying how there has been a change in the agenda because his speech was to be on a completely different subject. This change proves that he thought of the citizens and how in this time of sadness and grief, he needed to be be a strong role model and be a person of support that to country could look up to. He continues by sharing his condolences from he and his wife telling how this tragedy has made them feel.
Reagan also takes time to remember all those who died and their families, saying how the entire country is keeping them in their thoughts. He adds some inspiration into the speech when he addresses the sacrifice the crew made and the bravery it must have taken to join the expedition and explore space as pioneers. This inspiration shows that these men and women did not die in vain, they died for a cause they felt very strongly about and were searching for answers.
Reagan takes a moment in the speech to address the children who witnessed the explosion on television. He wants them to know that sometimes the unimaginable happens and although it is a tragedy, advancement and the future is dangerous, we as a nation can overcome this tragedy and move forward, making sure this does not happen again. By addressing the children, he is talking directly to the youth and future of our country and basically preparing them for the future and what is possible.
The overall tone of this speech is somber, but there are moments of national pride and hope that shine through. The emotion in this speech is almost overwhelming. The Challenger explosion took place 30 years ago, and it is something I knew little about. However, this speech, years later, is still able to evoke the same emotions it did back then for many people. This speech is a work of art, and was able to make me feel what was happening in the country simply by reading it. I'm sure President Reagan's delivery of the speech was even more emotional to witness than to read.
Your concluding paragraph is great. I too, knew very little about the challenger until learning about it this year in physics class. I felt while reading it as if it happened today. Your comment about it still being able too evoke the same emotions it did back then is very true. When you mention that these men and women did not die in vain, but rather they died for a cause they felt strong about I think your absolutely correct and that the families should be satisfied knowing this.
DeleteOn January 28th, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded upon takeoff killing astronauts; Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and school teacher Sharon Christa McAuliffe. This event was viewed by many, including schoolchildren, who tuned in to watch the takeoff. This unfortunate tragedy called for former President, Ronald Reagan, to address the issue. Reagan answered the call with his famous speech, "Shuttle `Challenger' Disaster Address", which he not only addressed the issue, but he comforted those who viewed it, commemorated the brave astronauts for their service, and encouraged future space quest.
ReplyDeleteRonald Reagan states that, "For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do the full impact of this tragedy." He puts himself at the same level as family to show that his sympathy is just as heartfelt as the family of the seven. He goes on to talk about how they, the astronauts, died a brave and courageous death while doing something they love; they died as "pioneers". Afterwards, he addresses the youth that were watching; "And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take-off." He acknowledges them because the youth are the next-generation workers of this country. Also by addressing the schoolchildren, he creates a sense of comfort to his audience.He goes on to talk about the connection between Sir Francis Drake and the astronauts, to show that their dedication, even though it led to their death, was not in vain. It was a stepping stone for future exploration.
Overall, throughout his whole speech he is empathizing with those affected by this event, while still getting his main message across. He indicates that we are pained because of the lost, we recognize the loss, and we will move on from this event and look on toward the future.
San Man,
DeleteWe had many of the same points, such as Reagan comforting the people of America. I like how you mentioned the comparison of Sir Francis Drake, I found that very interesting. Good job!
Instead of reading I chose to look on YouTube for Ronald Reagan’s speech on Challenger Space Shuttle tragedy, I think you get more of a feel for the emotion than if you read it. Reagan changed the whole speech due to the shuttle crash prior in the day. First, he mentions his wife Nancy and the sympathy they have for the families of ones lost. Reagan says “we” twenty-two times in the speech. By him referring to we, he made the viewers are home feel apart of something, and that is America.
ReplyDeleteMichael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe were the seven crewmembers that died in the Challenger Tragedy. Once of these crewmembers was a schoolteacher; many schools around the country were watching the shuttle takeoff live. Reagan addressed these students individually, “I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.” Reagan wanted the students to not be frightened on what they could have seen on the television screen, but rather motivated, like he seemed, to continue their legacy and the work in the space program.
Some Presidents have a way of speaking to people that is soothing and calming. Reagan had this ability; his words were short and to the point, but always making the people feel apart of something much larger. Isn’t it amazing one person can bring the whole country back together? What do you think our president would say if this would happen today?
I think it was really smart to watch a video of the speech instead of reading it. Like you said, it put pathos on a whole new level. I did not notice how often he said "we" in the speech, but making a point of that was a very strong argument. You end the blog by asking rehetorical and thought provoking questions yourself!
Delete