Rhetorical Techniques Used In Barack Obama's Speech

On the 50th anniversary of Selma, President Barack Obama gave his speech to honor those who walked before them peacefully to make a change to improve the way of life of future generations. In this speech Obama uses many rhetorical devices to get his point across about these people he called heroes

In this speech Obama uses a lot of ethos and emotional storytelling to get his point across about the way of life back then and how much courage it took to be part of such a huge movement and how it still affects us today. He talks about how they were “ordinary Americans willing to endure Billy clubs and the chastening rod; tear gas and the trampling hoof; men and women who despite the gush of blood and splintered bone would stay true to their North Star and keep marching towards justice.” They went through a lot of pain and suffrage to achieve what they did and still not everyone was behind them. Back then those who marched “were called Communists, half-breeds, or outside agitators, sexual and moral degenerates, and worse.” These emotional appeals that Obama uses is to make readers feel sad and realize the struggle that people went through and that it was a big deal back.

The next rhetorical device that Obama uses is references to God. It is used to show how these people keep their faith even when times get hard to

It talks about how Selma became a places in America where this nation’s destiny has been decided. Even comparable to other famous sites such as Concord and Lexington, Appomattox, Gettysburg. Others are sites that symbolize the daring of America’s character -- Independence Hall and Seneca Falls, Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral. Obama goes on to say that “As is true across the landscape of American history, we cannot examine this moment in isolation. The march on Selma was part of a broader campaign that spanned generations; the leaders that day part of a long line of