The following rhetorical analysis essay examines Ronald Reagan's Challenger Speech, one of the most important speeches in American history. The 1986 Challenger disaster was a tragic event that affected many people across the country. On that fateful day, the space shuttle Challenger exploded, killing all seven crew members on board. Among them was Christa McAuliffe, a teacher who would become the first civilian in space. The disaster shook the nation to its core, and President Ronald Reagan delivered a speech to comfort the American people. His speech was a powerful example of rhetorical strategy, using language both to console the nation and to inspire it to continue its quest for space exploration. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Everyone in America watched the 25th shuttle mission lift off without issue, and they listened to the feedback. It seemed like a completely normal mission. Then, after just one minute and 12 seconds, the space shuttle exploded in a cloud of smoke. All that was left for anyone watching was two rocket boosters smoking from a giant cloud that had been the Challenger. This entire ordeal was seen by everyone in America and created a crisis that needed to be resolved by the president. Back when Ronald Reagan was president, and oddly enough, the day of the Challenger disaster was the same day the State of the Union was supposed to be delivered. Instead of talking about the State of the Union, Ronald Reagan addressed the current crisis, created by the tragic space shuttle accident. The tragic “Challenger” speech was an attempt to help a nation recover from a terrible tragedy. The seven men and women were applauded and helped restore hope to the American people. This was demonstrated in Reagan's assertions: that the Challenger men and women were wonderful people and worth remembering, that we will continue and that the space program will not end with this disaster. This is seen through Ronald Reagan's speech, use of diction, and appeals to pathos. The main goal of the speech was to help America begin to recover from the loss of the men and women aboard the shuttle and the loss of the challenger, to eulogize the seven men and women killed in the accident, and to maintain hope among the American people. Reagan begins his speech by saying, “Today is a day of mourning and remembrance…we are deeply saddened by this tragedy. » At other points in the speech, he speaks of “national loss”. By addressing this issue and saying that he himself is hurt by it, he lets America know how much of an impact it has had on his life. A little later in his speech, he takes the time to talk about the schoolchildren who witnessed the disaster live. To explain to them that “it’s difficult to understand, but sometimes painful things happen.” The explanation sounds a lot like how a parent would explain loss to a child. He ends this part of his speech by saying: “The Challenger crew was leading us into the future, and we will continue to follow them. » He addresses the other men and women of NASA and tells them that he would like "to be able to talk to all the men and women who work for NASA, or who work on this mission, and tell them..." We know your anguish. We share it. » Reiterating to what extent this accident impacted everyone, himself, and especially those who were too young to understand it, as well as the people who were involved in it.personally connected or people on board the shuttle. Reagan shows the American people that this affected everyone, even him. He then personally involves his wife Nancy in his speech, he says that they are “deeply saddened”. This personal connection further demonstrates the impact on himself and his family. When Reagan talks about the scale of the crisis and the number of people affected, he provides the framework for a recovery. He continues to talk about the nation's losses and also explains how America will "continue to follow [the Challenger astronauts] into the future," demonstrating to Americans that we will move forward into the future after this disaster. He is now beginning to acknowledge the loss of the seven astronauts. who died. He describes their character: "[they] were pioneers... They had that special spirit that said: Give me a challenge and I will accept it with joy... The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the way they lived. their life. » He repeatedly praises them, their character, their actions, and their courage to heighten what a loss their deaths were to everyone in America. He addresses the families of the seven fallen astronauts and tells them what a great loss it has been for the entire country, noting: "we can't bear... all the impact... but we think of you so much" , giving my condolences for the kindness of all the people. All mentions of loss in the speech help lay the groundwork for praising men and women. Reagan can't say anything to bring them back to life, but he can and does try to prove what a loss their deaths were. The ultimate goal of the speech is to restore hope to the American people. Reagan does this by reassuring everyone that "we're just getting started." He said that "nothing that happened today diminishes [the space program]." Ending this part of his speech by saying "we will continue our quest in space... There will be others... Nothing stops here: our hopes and our journeys continue." He continues to talk about fears in the part of the speech addressed to schoolchildren. Reagan uses many techniques to achieve his goals of rebuilding the nation, to show sadness for those who lost their lives, and to reiterate new hope in the American people. His performance strongly shows his feelings. His tone throughout the speech is solemn and sad, reflecting on the losses. It has a quieter delivery to pay homage to the lives of the Challenger victims. The way Reagan delivers this speech is very similar to George Bush's speech to the nation during the tragedy of 9/11. However, it is important to know that Reagan is talking about a national tragedy, which allows him to be more emotional in his speech, unlike Bush, who is talking about a national attack and cannot be as emotional as Reagan. The way they are pronounced is based on the issues they face. Reagan's speech is effective because of the powerful diction he uses. This speech truly touches the hearts of all Americans. At the end of his speech, he said, “We will never forget them… as they prepared for their journey, bade them farewell, and “left the surly bonds of the earth” to “touch the face of God.” » His speech is full of other impactful quotes and powerful diction. This fully expresses the emotion of the speech. Another aspect of this speech is Reagan's appeal to pathos. He is clearly dealing with a very emotional situation. This is the best way for Reagan to achieve his goal of calming the American people and showing that he will move forward and instill unity in America...