Bruce Swift-Spicer

Professor Gail Richard

29 January 2015
Composition II

Tragedy of 9/11

Buildings collapsing, fires burning, and families screaming. These are the terrors that you
would expect during a terrorist attack. On September 11, 2001, two planes were flown into the
twin towers of the World Trade Center causing a great deal of destruction sorrow, and pain. A
third plane hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C and the last plane was driven into a field in
Pennsylvania. Nine days later George W. Bush Addressed the Nation to try to mend into the
hearts of lost love ones and to people in need. The enemy behind these acts of terror was Al
Qaeda and other Islamic terrorist working with him. Their main goal of crashing the four planes
was for a counter attack from the Persian Gulf War August 2, 1990 and for having our military in
the Middle East. There 19 Islamic terrorist involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In Bushs
Address, there is a great use of the rhetorical appeals ethos, logos and pathos. Bush was
apprising people of the great tragedy in the Address

Rhetorical devices are utilized to the speaker elaborate and help prove their points.
Rhetorical devices are very useful in helping the author convey to the audience. Rhetorical
devices are also utilized to persuade the audience. The rhetorical devices are broken down into
three appeals, ethical, logical and emotional. Ethos, which is the ethical appeal, is utilized in the
Address by the author to give credit and establish authority when needed. A quote that explains
the speaker's use of credibility is an actual verse from the bible stating, Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me. This quote was
taken from Psalm 23. Bush used this quote in his Address to give some type of confidence to the
U.S. He puts this quote to use by stating that the U.S. was hit hard but the enemies will be hit
even harder from a higher authoritative power. That there is another authority protecting us.
Another quote stating Bushs use of ethos states, immediately following the first attack, I
implemented our governments emergency response plans. This quote is another use of
establishing credibility in the address. Bush is relating to another higher power, the government.
Bush asserts that as soon as the terrorist attack happened, he put into use our first form of
protection.
Bush noted some important facts regarding the terrorist attack with an important use of
logic. Logos is the rhetorical appeal of using facts and examples. In the Address, Bush states,
thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. This quote is a fact of
one of the many problems that happened during 9/11. It represents logos because statistics,
which is a numerical fact, is displayed in the quote. Another quote that exemplifies logos states,
America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. This quote demonstrates
an example of how strong our government is and how this attack will not hold down the U.S.

Bush says that our way of life will continue just as normal. The economy will get back on track,
the government will still function, and financial corporations will still remain firm.
Pathos, the emotional appeal involving the use of emotion. A quote demonstrating this
use of emotion states, These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into
chaos and retreat but they have failed. Our country is strong. This quote exemplifies a very
strong use of emotion to the U.S. elaborating on the murders to frighten our country. Bush
reinforces this quote by stating how independent our country is. Another quote exemplifying
pathos in the address states, Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings,
but they cannot touch the foundation of America. Emotion is utilized immensely in this quote
elaborating on the effect of the feelings on the U.S. and its citizens. Bush is saying that the
terrorist can attack our community but they will never stop the people living in it. One more
quote to demonstrate Pathos by Bush expresses, Today our nation saw evil the very worst of
human nature and we responded with the best of America. Bush utters how that Al Qaeda and
his group of terrorist exemplified a strong form of hate and destruction to our nation on 9/11.
Evil is a very strong form of hatred used by the terrorist to put our nation into a scare.
The Audience of Bushs Address is the U.S. even though the event occurred at the World
Trade Center, the whole United States was a victim of the tragedy. The purpose of the address,
was to inform other citizens of the U.S. what happened and to bring comfort to those whose
family members have been lost during the terrorist attacks. The genre of this Address is more of
an informative or persuasive writing. The way Bush elaborates on informing the audience of
what happened shows that the Address was informative but he also persuades the audience to be
strong and confident. That nobody can ever break the U.S or its citizens.

The 9/11 terrorist attack was a devastating event that nobody will ever forget. The fires,
ash, building collapses and people crying in fear all hit the United States hard. Bush wanted to
inform the U.S that this is just a setback and that we will overcome all hurt, harm, and danger
that any enemy throws against us. With Bushs great use of the rhetorical appeals ethos, pathos,
and logos, he was successfully able to state his points in his address to the citizens of the United
States. The United States will continue to become the strongest nation in the world and defend
against any enemy to come.

Bibliography

Bush, George W. "George W. Bush Address to the Nation." George H.W. Bush - Address
to the Nation. N.p., 11 Sept. 200. Web. 07 Feb. 2016.