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Monica Perry
Gail Richard
Composition II
February 2, 2016
9/11 Address to the Nation: Rhetorical Analysis
On September 11, 2001, a terrible event shook the United States to its very core and
forever changed the world that we live in. The United States was simultaneously attacked
through multiple acts of terrorism when terrorist hijackers took over and crashed commercial
airliners into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, as well as the Pentagon in
Washington, D.C. A fourth hijacked airliner wound up crashing in rural Pennsylvania, due to the
heroics of its passengers, who thwarted the hijackers efforts to crash into another government
target. Because of this tragic event, President George W. Bush addressed the nation later that
night in a powerful and moving historical speech. The purpose of this paper is to examine the
meaning and significance of this speech, what audience it was directed to and how it related and
affected its target audience.
As previously stated, the person presenting this speech was President George W. Bush.
He was addressing a very shaken American public that had just witnessed horrific acts of
terrorism, some of which were even caught on live television. September 11, 2001 was an
extremely long day and was very emotionally upsetting for the vast majority of Americans.
When President Bush made this speech later that evening, it certainly proved comforting for
many Americans who were desperately waiting for signs of leadership and reassurance.
During this speech, President Bush used rhetoric appeals to capture the audiences
attention and ensure that he conveyed a clear message to them. Obviously many Americans were
very frightened by what had occurred. President Bush wanted to make sure that the terrorists did

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not succeed in scaring the American people. These acts of mass murder were intended to
frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. The
President clearly wanted to reassure the people of America. Also, he used pathos by making sure
the audience knew of suffering and sadness by many of the people that were affected. Tonight, I
ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered,
for all whose sense of safety and security has been witnessed the very worst of human nature.
Then he adds that we responded with the best of threatened. President Bush made sure to point
out the strong feelings of sympathy that were being expressed by people around the world. He
mentioned the many world leaders who have called to offer condolences and assistance. Lastly,
President Bush emphasized how evil the terrorists were by reminding everyone that they truly
saw the very worst of human nature. However, he noted that this tragedy brought out the very
best of America as well by referencing the daring of our rescue workers and how people wound
up caring for each other that day.
The President used logos at the beginning of his speech to describe the events and who
was affected. He described the American citizens who were victims as being in airplanes or in
their offices. He further details the victims as secretaries, business men and women, military
and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. The President also pointed out that
the search was underway to find those behind these terrible acts and make sure they were
brought to justice.
President Bush made sure that the audience was aware of his authority and plan of action
immediately after this tragedy. He used ethos when he said that had, implemented our
governments emergency response plans. He went on to further state that the emergency teams
were working with local authorities to conduct rescue efforts. He made sure that the American

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people knew what was top priorities and goals. He stated that, our first priority is to get help to
those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and
around the world from further attacks. He also pointed out that every effort would be made to
track down the individuals or groups behind these acts. I have directed the full resources of our
intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to
justice. He further mentioned that the functions of government would continue without
interruption and that most operations would be open for business the next day.
Immediately following the attacks, President Bush made a couple of statements on the
fly but wanted to make sure he could get back to the White House later that night to calm the
nerves of the country. He was quoted on the website www.usatoday30.com as saying, I wanted
to speak from the Oval Office. I wasnt going to address our nation from a bunker. It would have
been a huge psychological victory for the people who attacked. The President knew that it was
imperative to display a sense of leadership at this time of crisis. Also, during his address to the
nation on the night of 9/11/2001, President Bush pledged that the government would bring the
persons responsible for the hijacking and subsequent attacks to justice (www.millercenter.org).
He wanted not only to convey a sense of leadership, but also to let the American people know
that no stones would remain unturned until the guilty parties were caught, tried, and punished.
In conclusion, President Bushs speech of September 11, 2001 will go down in history as
a powerful and moving moment. The country had been shaken, many lives were lost, and many
Americans were in a state of utter devastation. There was no doubt that many citizens were in
great need of reassurance and direction. This speech, which President Bush made from the Oval
Office, was absolutely intended to reach out to the American people and calm their fears while

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offering a sense of hope. He also conveyed a message of strength and resolve by promising to
protect American citizens and promising to punish those guilty of these terrible acts.

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Works Cited

"Bush on the Events of Sept. 11, 2001, and Their Aftermath." USATODAY.COM. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 08 Feb.
2016.
"Miller Center." George W. Bush: Foreign Affairs-. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.