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Essay / Discourse Analysis: The Declaration of War on Japan
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire bombed the American military base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in a surprise attack. This ambush reminded the United States that it could no longer be a spectator of war and engaged it in direct conflict during World War II. The day after the attack, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke before a joint session of Congress, calling for a declaration of war against Japan. Throughout his famous speech, he used his diction, literary devices, and simple organization of the text to urge Congress to formally declare war on Japan and rally the American public to support the war effort, thereby establishing a sense of urgency and strengthening the nation as a whole. facing serious danger. Every word of his landmark speech played on the emotions of the American public and provided remarkable support for his goal. Roosevelt initiated his persuasion process by choosing emotionally charged words to trigger polarizing emotional appeals. He highlighted the deception of the attack through the numerous repetitions of the words "deliberately" and "premeditated." Additionally, his use of the words “hostility,” “vile,” and “infamy” demonizes the Japanese people and attracts the attention of his target audience, both Congress and all American citizens. His mention of American losses and U.S. Navy infrastructure during the attack on Pearl Harbor united the nation under an ideology of patriotism and underscored the urgency of a grave situation. With his effective oratory, the Americans felt compelled to develop a retaliatory plan as soon as possible to end the threat of a possible attack on the Japanese mainland and the loss of further American lives. ..edibility as he urged people to maintain their faith during these difficult situations. Additionally, he spoke in the first person, using the words “we” and “our”; with this choice of words, all American citizens across the country felt engaged; they felt as if the president was speaking directly to each individual, thus contributing significantly to their inclination to trust his decision to declare war on Japan. As one of the nation's most influential American presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was able to use his rhetorical eloquence to unite America under a common enemy after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: the Japanese Empire . He successfully transformed the people's emotions of fear into hope and strength by emphasizing the urgent need for a declaration of war against Japan and America's direct involvement in World War II...