John F Kennedy Ethos In Jfk Inaugural Address

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When John F. Kennedy said, “My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man” (Kennedy) in his Inaugural Address, he believed he could empower people to be the change they wanted to see in the world. Kennedy was a relatively young man, which was perceived by many as underqualified. America’s doubts in Kennedy were visible in the deeply divided election. During the Cold War, he called a new generation of Americans to rise up to a greater level of ownership and commitment to their country’s needs. By relying on the appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos as well as anaphora and alliteration, John F. Kennedy reached out to Americans and allies and adversaries of the United States to come together in a just world, where …show more content…
Ethos is immediately established by Kennedy: “we observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom -- symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning -- signifying renewal, as well as change” (Kennedy). He addressed that the victory is not solely for the Democratic Party to project to the American people that he is a just president who values unity rather than bipartisanship. John F. Kennedy revealed he was a courageous leader when he said, “in the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- I welcome it” (Kennedy). He revealed to the country that he is ready to lead the United States through tough times and the Cuban Missile Crisis is an example of when he did just that. Kennedy also established ethos when he said, “for I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago” (Kennedy). Through this quote, he portrayed himself as an unselfish leader who believed in a