Introduction: Many people are aware of the Space Shuttle Challenger incident, but they are not sure what Challenger's main purpose was. Context: NASA wanted at the time to build a lightweight orbiter capable of performing a flight similar to that of other machines, but more efficient in terms of weight and cost. While Challenger was still operating, he contributed to many scientific discoveries and technological advances, such as the establishment of a new data relay system and conducted many different experiments on board. (NASA). The Challenger failed just over a minute after its flight, not because of an explosion, but because of a design flaw that could have been avoided. A part called an O-ring could not prevent hot gases from escaping the rocket, so given the inadequate temperature and pressure, the rocket could not handle it. This event was covered so well because one of the crew members on board was a teacher who planned to teach her class a few lessons from space. Within an hour, 85% of Americans knew about the disaster that unfortunately occurred. Thesis Statement: President Reagan then proceeds to address the incident to the American people and does so using many emotional rhetorical devices. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayTopic Sentence: President Reagan begins his speech by stating, “I had planned to speak to you this evening to report back on the State of the Union. , but events earlier today caused me to change those plans. Evidence and Citation: This is an appeal to ethos because it shows that he is willing to undo an important event to resolve a difficult and devastating issue. An important part of this is that he says "Nancy and I" instead of saying "the First Lady and I." This is another way of appealing to ethos, ignoring the titles they have, they connect to their audience by showing them that we are all the same, that we are human. Comment: He shares his grief with America. If he had not done what he did, the American people would have seen him as a president who has no morals and does not seem to care about this incident, but these simple actions contributed to appease the emotions of viewers. sentence: In the next paragraph, he lists all the shuttle crew members and states: "We mourn seven heroes. » Evidence and Quote: This appeals to pathos by connecting the viewers to the fact that they were extraordinary human beings and were aware of the dangers they may face, which may also appeal to the ethos. He uses emotive words such as "hero", "courage" and "brilliantly" to paint the picture in people's minds that it is truly a tragedy to lose these excellent crew members. Comment: This helps to appeal to pathos. Evidence and Quotes: This country has been and always will be built by individuals who go above and beyond, which is how the American people can relate to it. He continues to use the word “We” throughout this speech. Comment: This helps connect everyone and ensures that those affected by this situation are not alone in this difficult time. Topic Sentence: He continues to speak to the families of the seven and says, “We cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss and we think very much of you.” Evidence and citations:this actually helps support the appeal of the ethos. He admits that he himself doesn't know what the families are going through, but he wants them to know that everyone will be there to support them, that they are not alone. His diction in this paragraph also tells everyone what the crew members were like by saying these emotional words such as bold and brave and telling the families that they "had this special grace." He tugs at everyone's heart strings by using these words, so that everyone can truly know the impact they made and to ensure that their legacy will continue. Topic Sentence: President Reagan then takes the stage to speak to American schoolchildren who were watching the live broadcast of Challenger. Evidence and Quotes: Again the main choice of rhetoric is pathos, this can be demonstrated by Reagan giving the sad reality of saying "I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this are coming." Commentary: This harsh reality is important because these schoolchildren have to grow up in a world that painfully exists, but since they are only children, he gives this news in a very simple oral manner with a simple choice of words. Evidence and Quotes: He comforts them by stating, “It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. » Comment: This may suggest that there is a reward for all the hard work that goes into it. Topic Sentence: In the following paragraph, President Reagan decides to change his tone with this speech by saying, "I have always had great confidence and respect in our space program...We make no secret of our space program." We don’t keep secrets… We do all of this openly and publicly.” Evidence and Citation: The context behind this is that during this incident, the United States was in a Cold War against the USSR and there has always been a competition between the two nations. The Soviets were very secretive about their space program and often did not let the public know what was going on. There were cases of failures that the Soviets did not tell anyone about, they wanted only successful events to be known. Comment: At the same time as he points a stick at the USSR, he shows patriotism towards American viewers, which makes this speech even more moving. Topic Sentence: He then continues talking to the NASA workers. Evidence and Quotes: He commends them for all the hard work they do, saying, “Your dedication and professionalism have touched and impressed us for decades. And we know your anxiety. We share it. He makes it clear that they are somewhat responsible for what happened, but they shouldn't worry about their future. Comment: As he said earlier with the schoolchildren, it's all part of the process. Mistakes will happen, and we learn from them. He wants NASA employees to remember that. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Concluding Paragraph: He ends his speech by saying that we will never forget the crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger and adds “as they prepared for their journey, bid them farewell and “ slipped the harsh bonds of the earth” to “touch the face of God”. Thank you." He wants America to remember the legacy these people will leave forever. This entire speech was filled with moving words to remember. The rhetoric used in this context made it an influential way to remember these courageous crew members and unify the country as we..