rhetorical analysis speech (public speaking class)

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

On July 18, 1969 Edward M. Kennedy was on Martha's Vineyard Island participating in a sailing regatta. That evening he attended a party on Chappiquiddick Island ‑ twelve people made up the party, six men and six women. The women were former campaign workers in Robert Kennedy's last campaign. None of the men at the party brought their wives. About 11:00 that evening Senator Edward Kennedy left the party with Mary Jo Kopechne. The car Senator Kennedy was driving plunged off a bridge and Mary Jo Kopechne drowned. Senator Kennedy lived through the accident, however he left the scene of the accident and did not report the accident until the next day ‑ ten hours later. One week later Senator Kennedy appeared on network television from his father's house to explain what had happened seven days earlier.

The purpose of Senator Kennedy's speech was to reestablish his credibility with the public by explaining his version of the accident and to continue on in office with his political career.

I am going to use the classical form of analysis to explore Kennedy's rhetorical strategies, To do this I will describe 1) Kennedy's use of ethos ‑ how he established his credibility by identifying with his audience; 2) pathos ‑ Kennedy's emotional arguments and 3) logos ‑ Kennedy's logical arguments.

First, let us explore his credibility or ethos. No one can deny how powerful and charismatic the Kennedys are - Edward Kennedy is no exception. The Kennedys were known for their charm. The Kennedy family was an extremely wealthy and influential family. In this speech Kennedy identifies himself with past Massachusetts leaders in the following passage:

"The people of this state, the state which sent John

Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster and Charles Sumner and

Henry Cabot Lodge and John Kennedy to the United States

Senate, are entitled to representation in that body by men

who inspire their utmost confidence."

He tells his audience that it has been seven years since his first election to the Senate which serves as reminder of his credibility to the audience, the audience which elected him.

Second, I will discuss the use of pathos or emotional statements. Kennedy was a dynamic speaker and appealed to the emotions of his audience as seen throughout this speech. This is seen in the following passage as he tries to explain his relationship with Mary Jo:

"When I left the party, around 11:15 p.m., I was

accompanied by one of these girls, Miss Mary Jo Kopechne.

Mary Jo was one of the most devoted members of the staff

of Senator Robert Kennedy. She worked for him for four

years and was broken up over his death. For this reason,

and because she was such a gentle, kind and idealistic

person, all of us tried to help her feel that she still

had a home with the Kennedy family."

He went on to deny rumors about Mary Jo and himself as well any other rumors regarding the other girls at that party. He described the plunge from the bridge, his efforts to save Mary Jo and his conduct during the next few hours which he admitted made no sense to him at all. He told of his confused thoughts in the following strong passage:

They were reflected in the various inexplicable,

inconsistent and inconclusive things I said and did,

including such questions as whether the girl might still

be alive somewhere out of that immediate area, whether

some awful curse did actually hang over all the Kennedys,

whether there was some justifiable reason for me to doubt

what had happened and to delay my report, whether somehow

the awful weight of this incredible incident might in some

way pass from my shoulders. I was overcome, I am frank to

say, by a jumble of emotions, grief, fear, doubt, ex‑

haustion, confusion and shock."

Last, logos or logical arguments. Kennedy's first logical argument was that he couldn't go public with this speech earlier because it would have been improper for him to comment on these matters prior to his court appearance. That morning of the speech he had entered a plea of guilty to the charge of leaving the scene of an accident. Another logical argument was that he acted illogically because of his physical and emotional state at the time of the accident. He also confessed that he doubted whether he ought to remain in the Senate. He justified this with the following passage:

"If at any time the citizens of Massachusetts should

lack confidence in their Senator's character or his

ability, with or without justification, he could not in my

opinion adequately perform his duty and should not

continue in office."

He submitted the question of his resignation to the people of Massachusetts. This was a remarkable gesture; no one had done anything quite like it before. But given Kennedy's enormous popularity in Massachusetts and the proven ability of the Kennedys to get the vote, it was hardly a risky one. By 8:00 the next morning 7,500 telegrams were piled on the floor, sofas and tables of his living room and den and another 7,500 were still at the local Western Union office. Within a week he received more than 100,000 letters, cards, calls and telegrams, the overwhelming majority asking Kennedy to retain his seat. Senator Kennedy replied to the outpouring of sentiment by announcing he would remain in office.

As to the guilty charge of leaving the scene of an accident he received a two‑month suspended sentence, which he never served. As to the outcome of the inquest, in his 12‑page summation, Judge Boyle reached two conclusions: that Kennedy was not telling the truth when he said he was taking Mary Jo to Edgartown; and that Kennedy's negligent driving appeared to have contributed to the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. Despite his finding, Judge Boyle did not

rder the Senator's arrest and trial, which he was empowered to do if he wished under Massachusetts law.

Judge Boyle retired the very next day after his finding and never explained why.

We have learned through this speech that Kennedy used ethos, pathos and logos strategies effectively. He has the power to give the people what they want to see and hear ‑ a gracious and warm Kennedy with the same charm of the other Kennedys they remember.