Content
Ronal Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was the speaker of the speech. That speech was given from the Oval Office at the White House. The President spoke at 5 p.m. on January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke after 73 seconds of the flight. The speech was given to address the American grief about the disaster that happened to the Space Shuttle Challenger and support the families and the nation. The position of the speaker (the US President) and the responsibility of the government to explore space even at the cost of human life made Reagan qualified to give this speech.
Delivery
In the speech, Reagan emphasized such words as “our,” “loss,” “mourn,” “Challenger,” and “today.” A slow rate of speaking was used to appreciate the level of grief but changed to medium speed when the goals of space programs were explained. Reagan spoke softly to demonstrate his understanding of the situation. A positive but mourning tone was applied because it was important to support and motivate the nation. The speaker properly used non-verbal gestures like constant eye contact with the viewer, correct facial expressions of sadness, and pauses.
Overall Impression
Reagan used logos to underline the importance of astronauts’ work in space exploration, ethos to show his presidential authority and the necessity to continue space journeys, and pathos to share his sadness about the accident. The logos’ example, “But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly,” explains the event’s clear reason (“Challenger Explosion and President Reagan’s Address to the Nation” 00:03:35-00:03:41). Pathos “we share this pain with all of the people of our country” shows the mourning appeal to the audience (“Challenger Explosion and President Reagan’s Address to the Nation” 00:03:11-00:03:14). Apart from the conditions under which it was delivered, Reagan’s speech was successful because of its emotional appeal and intention to support and motivate Americans for dedication and new achievements.
Reference
“Challenger Explosion and President Reagan’s Address to the Nation.”YouTube. 2016. Web.