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Ronald Reagan Space Shuttle Rhetorical Analysis

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Space Shuttle Rhetorical situation is connected with the catastrophe of shuttle "Challenger" of January 28, 1986. In the beginning of the mission STS-51L the spacecraft exploded on 73 seconds into the flight, causing the death of all seven crewmembers. The shuttle disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean near the central part of Florida peninsula. The author of the speech is the US president Ronald Reagan, who a few hours after the fall of the shuttle tried to comfort the grieving country by the emotional speech. The audience is the American nation, which was shocked by what happened. Over the last quarter century, scientists and astronauts made 55 US space missions, and their successful return to the Earth was perceived as a matter …show more content…

The verbal component of the speech is completely correlated with gestures and facial expressions of the President. Therefore, speaking about the tragedy, the condolences to the families of the victims, Reagan made a small pause for greater effect creation. Reagan's face expressed feelings of grief and sorrow. Although when the president started talking about the need to be brave and resilient in such moments, his expression suddenly changed. There were visible sense of endurance and resistance to all adversity in his face. Ronald Reagan was a professional actor and a brilliant orator. Researchers in the field of psychohistory, who studied the psychological Reagan's portrait, observed that he was not a successful politician, although a consummate orator. Reagan went to American history as one of the most beloved presidents. This speech about the shuttle tragedy only confirms this statement. In Reagan's speech certain communication rhetoric items for effect intensification of treatment were used. First of all, it is certain pathos for showing that the president shares the feelings of Americans: "Nancy [Reagan's wife] and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss." …show more content…

Since 1983, the US has been continued strategic defense initiative, better known as “American star wars”. Its essence was to create a global missile defense system with elements of space weapons. This policy was the result of the arms race, escalating Cold War with the Soviet Union, and fighting for leadership in the space. The leitmotif of the entire speech is the message that despite the tragedy, national space programs are not curtailed, although rather will be continued and expanded: "We will continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. "

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