Context
The text is used after the September 11th terrorist attack. This is a time when there was lots of bad feeling in America as many people lost friends and family and this was a time when many people were turning against the President.
Topicality
At first the semantic field is that of justice for America. He emphasizes the need for justice in the 7th paragraph where ye says the word justice three times. “Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice our enemies, justice will be done”.
The topicality then shifts towards the casualties. The semantic field of large quantities exaggerates the number of victims for example in paragraph 15 where he uses the words dozens, hundreds and more than two hundred and fifty.
The topicality shifts to terrorism on the next page. He uses words such as attacked terrorist, murderers, bombing, mafia and crime.
Towards the end of his speech the topicality is more of hope. Words like support, contributions, patience and security are used.
Giving Opinions
Throughout the address, Bush peppers his speech with opinions such as “America has no truer friend than Great Britain”. Many people may not believe this is the truth.
Threatening Disaster
Bush starts threatening disaster towards the middle of the speech. He does this at the top of the second page where he threatens disaster on the destruction of freedom by saying “All of this was brought upon us in a simple day, a night fell on a different world, a world where freedom itself was under attack”.
Giving Personal Guarantees
Later in the speech Bush offers his personal, political guarantee that he will get justice. He ways “We will come together to give law enforcement the additional tools it needs to track down terrorism here at home”. By adding the word we at the beginning it exaggerates the listeners role in the completion of the task and involves them more.
Structural Techniques
In the speech we can see a very common use of pattern of three. He uses plenty of three part lists such as “the saying of prayers in English, Hebrew and Arabic” and “I thank you for your friendship, your leadership and your service to our country”.
Bush also uses plenty of repetition. He uses the words “we will not forget” three times to start paragraphs off one after the other. This highlights the idea of remembrance. He also uses repetition when he is thanking people towards the end of his speech which emphasizes his gratitude towards others. He starts off paragraphs with “we will” “we have” and “we have seen” a lot. The repletion of we emphasizes unity and drives home the message that the speaker will have to take part in the action if anything is to happen.
Lists
Bush uses lots of syndetic listing. He uses the words such as and to link ideas into a list such as “work and creativity and enterprise”. On the second page fire or story or rescue on the last which has a cumulative effect
Questions
Throughout the speech Bush does not use any rhetorical questions. Maybe this is because the United States are already asking so many questions about the attack.
Opposites
Bush uses lots of antithesis at the end of the speech. For example he says “freedom and fear, justice and cruelty have always been at war”. These words are clearly opposites and have a powerful effect.
