Question

Write an analysis of the "day of infamy" speech. pay special attention to factors such as the speaker's purpose and point of view. explain roosevelt's reasoning, points of emphasis, and his use of rhetoric and tone, as well as how he links ideas. use both the written and audio versions of the speech to complete your analysis. you might need to do some additional research into the historical background of the speaker and the speech to complete this activity.

Answer 1

The "Day of Infamy" speech was given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on December 8th 1941, just one day after the US military bases at Pearl Harbor were attacked by the Japanese military.

This speech was given in front of the United States Congress. Besides recapping the event, Roosevelt was giving this speech as a means to rally support for the US entry into World War II. In order to formally enter a war, the US Congress must approve it.

With this in mind, the president gives a very passionate speech about this "cowardly" and "dastardly" attack by the Japanese. He uses adjectives like this to describe the Japanese military as a means to incite strong emotions from the Senators and Representatives listening to the speech.

Ultimately, President Franklin D. Roosevelt uses strong language as a means to show that this attack on the American military basis cannot go unanswered. That's why he ends his speech asking Congress to declare war on Japan.