Unification Through Pathos

My great-grandfather's Pound

When I was a baby my great-grandfather left me with a silver Pound that had the face of Winston Churchill on the back. He gave it to me because he thought that, as a baby, I looked like Churchill. It may have been a nice way of saying I should aspire for Churchill's wit because my looks wouldn't get me very far. Churchill was always just the funny looking guy on the back of that coin until I the Sinews of Peace Speech. Or, more commonly referenced as the Iron Curtain Speech. 

Considering the Kairotic nature of the situation, Churchill wanted to express the need to spread democratic western values through the unification of western countries. The speech was carefully pieced together such that it would convince those who hold close to western values join in the grand unification of the world's force for good against evil. The United Nations. Churchill uses many rhetorical devices to prove his argument. I will discuss his appeal to Pathos through his oratory delivery and his literary devices.

Oratory

Churchill delivers his address as slowly and as carefully as he wrote it. The times where he mixed up his words he would redo until it was said exactly right. His careful delivery could be heard in the way that he emphasized the first word in each of his major phrases. "OUR supreme task and duty is to GUARD the homes of the common people..." (7) This was a common strategy in dramatic speech delivery of the time. The dramatic tone carried over to develop a serious mood for the listener, so as to give incentive for the listener to pay close attention. 

Literary

"Let us preach what we practice--Let us practice what we preach" (13) This is one of many figures of speech that were employed in an effort for Churchill to appeal to the pathos. In this case, the antithesis is used to offer inspiration to the listener. He also uses amplification to create a climax.

"The dark ages may return, the Stone Age may return on the gleaming wings of science, and what might now shower immeasurable material blessings upon mankind, may even bring about its total destruction." (18)   

In conclusion, while pathos was only one of the three persuasive appeals used by Churchill, it may have proven to be the most useful. His words were meant to resonate with people of different backgrounds who shared an emotional value that was thoroughly challenged throughout the previous three decades. A value common to westerners of all nationalities. Freedom.