29 pages • 58 minutes read
Franklin D. RooseveltDay of Infamy Speech
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1941A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
WWII is often seen as the United States’ last “just” war because the country entered it in response to an attack on US soil, and later conflicts are usually compared with it in some way. Compare FDR’s address with one given by a president entering or justifying a later conflict, like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, etc. How have other presidents framed those conflicts in relation to WWII? What techniques do they use to sell the US public on armed intervention?
During WWII, the new medium of radio meant that the public had more immediate information than in previous wars. FDR begins his speech by emphasizing that Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor occurred just the previous day, and he later notes that the attack on Midway Island occurred the very same day on which he is speaking. How does this immediacy inform the tone of FDR’s speech? How does he use it to his rhetorical advantage?
FDR’s “Day of Infamy” speech was an official Congressional address, and therefore more formal than his Fireside Chats. Compare “Day of Infamy” with the Fireside chat he delivered on December 9, titled “On the War with Japan.” What rhetorical techniques does he use to tailor his message to his different audiences? How are the speeches similar? Different?
Look for contemporary newspaper coverage of FDR’s “Day of Infamy” address in at least three newspapers. Contrast how it was covered in news reporting versus opinion articles/commentary. How was it received at the time? What words did writers use to describe it?
FDR remains one of the most popular presidents in US history, especially for his communication skills. What techniques does he use to enhance the persuasiveness of his message here? How does he tailor his rhetoric for two different audiences (Congress and the public)?
FDR seeks to instill in Americans a sense of themselves as a single, unified nation defined by positive qualities like forthrightness and determination. What rhetorical techniques does he use to achieve this?
FDR was rarely depicted in his wheelchair, but his disability was well-known to the American public. He provides a marked contrast with his hyper-masculine and explicitly combative cousin, Teddy Roosevelt, who preceded him in office. How does FDR construct his persona in the “Day of Infamy” speech?
To maximize the moral contrast between the US and Japan, FDR casts the US as dedicated to peace. How does he balance this characterization with the need to inspire the American public to engage in a protracted war?
FDR seeks to emphasize the historic nature of these events—“a date which will live in infamy” (Paragraph 1)—while at the same time stressing the urgency of the moment. How does his speech operate in two timescales at once—both zeroing in on the urgent decisions of the day and looking forward to posterity?
How does FDR impress on his audience the urgency—and thus the danger—of these events without making them fearful? What combination of emotions does he seek to evoke in his speech, and what techniques does he use to evoke those emotions?
