Analyze the Elements of the Rhetorical Situation in The Challenger Address
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the speech "Challenger Address to the Nation" by President Ronald Reagan. Specifically, it will analyze the elements of the rhetorical situation in the address. It will also discuss how the elements relate to Reagan's presidency and popularity at the time of the speech in January 1986. Ronald Reagan endures as one of the most popular American presidents, and speeches such as this one are one indication of his popularity. They are poignant, resilient, and emotional, all of which characterize his administration and his outlook as a politician and a person. When the Challenger space shuttle exploded during take-off in 1986, the event shocked and saddened the nation. America lost seven of its brightest and best astronauts, and the country grieved over the loss. Reagan's speech acknowledged that grief and mourned along with the nation. The speech is quite indicative of Reagan's public popularity at the time. Just like Reagan himself, the speech was emotional and touching. Two Reagan speech experts note, "In many ways the Challenger speech included the most salient feat
ures of Reagan's rhetoric: unself-conscious references to God, emphasis on heroes, appeals to values of freedom and progress, and Reagan's fitting presentational manner" (Ritter & Henry, 1992, p. 4). He was an emotional president, and his speeches and actions often conveyed this, which is one reason he was so popular with so many of the American people. Reagan noted in his speech that Americans had become "used" to space exploration, and did not truly expect an accident of the magnitude of the Challenger. This is one reason the disaster was so dramatic to many Americans. It was replayed repeatedly on television news and commentary, and the images became embedded in American's minds. The space program was something most Americans took for granted, and many Americans felt was too expensive to maintain. The Challenger accident gave Americans a new reason to think about the space program and its' inherent dangers, and brought NASA back to the headlines, when at the time many Americans no longer watched or worried about space shuttles launches and landings. Americans had become complacent about space travel, thinking it was as safe
Some common words found in the essay are:
War White, Ronald Reagan, Christa McAuliffe, Ritter Henry, Democratic Congress, Reagan Specifically, , american people, space program, popular american, popular american people, challenger address, americans space, reagan's public, public popularity, ronald reagan, space travel, reagan speech,
Approximate Word count = 770
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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