Question

determining the speakers purpose

in two or three sentences, explain what president roosevelt is asking of his audience. include examples of rhetoric from the speech that support your explanation.

Explanation:

Identify the speaker's core request

The prompt asks to explain what President Franklin D. Roosevelt is asking of his audience in his famous Pearl Harbor Address ("Day of Infamy" speech). He is asking Congress to declare that a state of war has existed between the United States and the Empire of Japan, while asking the American public for absolute unity, resolve, and support in the upcoming conflict.

Analyze the rhetorical strategies

To support this explanation, we examine the Historical Rhetoric and Speaker Purpose of the speech. Roosevelt uses strong, emotionally charged diction (such as "infamy," "premeditated invasion," and "absolute victory") to establish the necessity of defense. He also employs ethical appeals (ethos) and parallel structure to assure the nation of inevitable triumph through unified determination.

Draft a concise response

We combine these elements into a focused explanation of two to three sentences, ensuring it directly addresses the prompt's requirements by stating his request and citing his rhetorical strategies.

Answer:

In his address, President Roosevelt asks Congress to formally declare war on Japan and calls upon the American public to unite with determination and confidence in the face of conflict. To persuade his audience, he employs powerful, emotionally charged diction, describing the attack as a "premeditated invasion" and declaring that the nation will achieve "absolute victory." Through this strong rhetoric, he establishes a clear moral imperative, reassuring citizens of their inevitable triumph through collective resolve.