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Parallel Syntax Used In Jimmy Carter's Speech

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People throughout history have tried to master the art of persuasion, one common thread that we see with great speakers is that great speakers throughout history used every tool that they have available such as rhetorical devices and body language. In the 1970s Americans consumed more oil than they produced. As a result, America had to import more oil than they produced domestically. This brought a big panic to the silent generation and the older baby boomers. Consequently, the American president during this time, Jimmy Carter, knew he had to make a change and encourage his people to stay together in this time of panic. Carter delivered a speech on July 15, 1979, called “The Malaise Speech.” Through his firm parallel syntax and useful ethos …show more content…

“We simply must have faith in each other, faith in our ability to govern ourselves, and faith in the future of this Nation”(Jimmy). Carter uses parallel syntax to stress the importance of trust. This is important because a team or a family can solve no problem without the party staying united together. This is interesting because if it weren't for this speech Americans wouldn’t hold together to help their country. Carter knew that if America can't unite for a problem such as energy, then they won’t be able to join when it counts. This is a crucial speech because Carter says what he needs to unite his country. A country needs to have faith in their fellow citizens, trust in their type of government, and most importantly believe in their leader in order to …show more content…

Carter is saying that America needs to change. He’s saying this through the pound of his right hand. This is significant because he accomplishes through his body language passion and concern for the confidence of Americans, confidence in democracy, and confidence in him as a leader. His body language made his speech believable, and if a country believes in their leader, there is nothing they can’t accomplish. People respond to power, and Carter institutes his control with his words but more importantly with his body. Politicians today use these speech gestures in every important election because of how powerful the hand motions are, and these can be tied back to Jimmy Carter’s Malaise

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