Response Essay to Eisenhower’s Farewell Speech
Write a short essay (3-4 pages) to assess and critique Eisenhower’s Farewell speech (I have attached the transcrpt as well). When writing, use examples from the speech to support your ideas. Also, answer these questions in the essay:
1) What do you assess Eisenhower’s standpoint to be? (Consult our text for more on standpoint). Is his standpoint consistent with that of a career military man? If so, why? If not, why not?
2) What sort of speech is this? Is it informative, persuasive, invitational, or something else? Was it a special occasion speech? If so,what kind?
3) What were Ike’s goals? What did he hope to accomplish? And what sort of language did he use – concrete or abstract or both? Cite examples. Was his delivery appropriate – meaning his pacing pitch, vocal variety, etc.?
4) Is it well-reasoned? That is to say, does he engage in any fallacies? If so, are they intentional? Is he being honest or he is trying to twist his language to make is point? What was his ethos? Did his speech have logos? Despite his rather dry delivery, what evidence do you see of pathos, if at all?
5) What sorts of questions is he addressing: questions of value, fact, or policy (or all three)? Where?
6) Does he seem well prepared, rehearsed and practiced? How, if at all, does he use gestures to emphasize his points? Such as?
7) If Eisenhower were delivering this speech today, what ideas would you suggest if you were helping him write, prepare and rehearse it?
