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  • Essay / The Use of Ethos and Pathos in President Barack Obama's Appeal

    Without a doubt, one of the most prolific speakers in recent memory is President Barack Obama. His influence as a speaker is largely linked to his ability to resonate with audiences of all types and appeal to them in a variety of ways. One of the most notable depictions of this is the speech he gave while running for Illinois state senator in 2004. Obama uses numerous opportunities to appeal to the audience of a way that resonates with his deep American being and he connects with that. throughout. His logos, ethos, and pathos appeals are built around preserving American identity as well as building a unified America, which he references and emphasizes throughout his speech. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Obama instantly establishes his philosophy with the audience by referring to Illinois as the “Land of Lincoln” in the introductory section of the speech. He exudes humility and connects America's welcoming nature to his father's experience as a child wanting to enter the country he called "a beacon of freedom and opportunity for so many of those who preceded him. Instantly, Obama addresses the audience with many of the welcoming conditions America is known for, while admitting that his father came from humble immigrant origins. This statement serves two roles, in that it establishes a sense of honesty about its origin while simultaneously conveying to the audience that they themselves are inherently welcoming. Another attribute of the speech he brings up is the origins of his mother's father, an oil rig farmer who enlisted in the Army after Pearl Harbor. The emotional appeal here is patriotic, referencing many of America's qualities that would resonate with an Illinois audience. This includes the nature of the "American story" that Obama constructs, in which he discusses his diverse origins and the fact that his parents remained humble and true to their roots, naming him Barack, a traditional African first name. The audience he's speaking to is most of America, the product of immigration, hard work, and the pursuit of the American dream. Furthermore, it speaks to those who built themselves up and worked under difficult conditions – a large part of the hard-working middle class. This is also the premise of his appeal to the sense of pathos. He references the jobs leaving Illinois while discussing the dreams that make up America: that the people's children can be safe in a country where hard work allows them to grow and develop accordingly. His appeal to pathos here is rather profound, as he connects his story to that of many others and at the same time finds a platform to discuss their scruples and contrivances. He talks about special people such as "the father I met who was losing his job and holding back tears, wondering how he could pay $4,500 a month for the medication his son needs" or the "wife of East St. Louis, thousands more like her.” , who has the grades, the drive, the will, but who doesn't have the money to go to university. These calls are aimed at the common man and the problems that many of them probably faced while chatting with them. From there, he discusses the courage of these types of people and their dexterity, reaffirming their strength as a whole. The syllogism proposed by Obama is..