Speech Analysis Group Project - PowerPoint Presentation

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Speech Analysis Group Project

"Chappaquiddick Apology Speech" by Edward (Teddy) KennedySlide2

The Close Reading

"There is no truth , no truth whatever, to the widely circulated suspicions of immoral conduct the have been leveled at my behavior and hers regarding that evening." Edward "Teddy" Kennedy pleads innocent after being accused of purposefully leaving Mary Jo Kopechne at the scene of their tragic car accident in 1969.

"Although my doctor informed me that I suffered a cerebral concussion , as well as shock, I do not seek to escape responsibility for my actions by placing the blame either on the physical and emotional trauma brought by the accident , or on anyone else." Kennedy had just said that he was completely innocent from all allegations of ill intent towards Kopechne yet later on in his speech he contradicted himself by taking responsibility for his actions (the ones he said he did not commit.)

Immoral Conduct- The actions of Kennedy the night of July 18th

Immediate - Kennedy used this adjective to describe his efforts towards Mary Jo when the accident occurred(After he left the scene and came back.)

Suspicion - Kennedy used this word to label the rumors of his very strange behavior the night of the accident.

Trauma - Used strategically throughout the speech to be a very shady excuse for his conduct.

Moral(Morally) - Kennedy used this word to explain his actions after the incident , not while the situation was taking place which in that case would be the lack of morality. Slide3

Contextual Analysis

By looking deeper into the story I found out a little more information. The speech was written on July 25, 1969 around the time of the civil rights movement etc. In the speech, Edward or (Teddy) said, “Instead of looking directly for a telephone after lying exhausted in the grass for an undetermined time, I walked back to…”. The actual time was 10 hours in which he waited before going to get the help of his two friends. The tone in the speech is kind of cagey because he is telling us a lot of information but isn’t telling what the public wants to hear, which is understandable considering he is a senator who was involved in a mishap and with Mary Jo passing away. Slide4

Purpose and Claim

The "Chappaquiddick Apology Speech" by Edward (Teddy) Kennedy overall purpose/claim is to explain to the people he and Mary Jo Kopechne did not have anything significant going between them and that he didn't intentionally kill her. He is trying to convince them that their allegations are false and that he is innocent from their accusations of driving under alcoholic influence. He also describes how he made several attempts to save her, but in the end his efforts were futile.

"I know of nothing in Mary jo's conduct on that or any other occasion -- and the same is true of the other girls at that party -- that would lend any substance to such ugly speculation about their character. Nor was I driving under the influence of liquor." Paragraph 4, Lines 3-6

"I made immediate and repeated efforts to save Mary Jo by diving into the strong and murky current, but succeeded only in increasing my state of utter exhaustion and alarm." Paragraph 6, Lines 1-2Slide5

Structure and Strategy

In the "Chappaquiddick Apology Speech", Kennedy utilizes two rhetorical devices-- Logos, and Pathos. Kennedy appeals to the logical side of the matter by referring to reason. For example, he states that his actions after the accident may have been due to trauma to the brain and shock. Although Kennedy used the Logos appeal, the Pathos appeal appeared more often in the speech. Near the end of the speech, Kennedy states that he feels guilty for his actions and how he cannot put in words how terrible he feels about this "tragic accident". He also states that he cares about the citizens' opinions on this topic and what advice they might have to offer to him. Kennedy is obviously trying to convince the listeners that he was not in his right mind after the accident; he wants the audience to feel somewhat forgiving and sorrowful towards him by finding common ground.

Kennedy uses a sequence structure in his apology speech. He first explains the obligations formed against him, next he explains what happened on the night of the accident, then he states why the allegations are, in fact, false and that he is terribly sorry for what happened.Slide6

Evaluation

The following strategies, or structures, worked well in the speech. For Logos, Kennedy was trying to defend himself from the audience's perspective and also himself. He was trying to find logic in the confusions of his story. Pathos was utilized in order for sympathy to be shared with Kennedy. He did not want to seem like the complete bad guy. Our group felt that these rhetorical devices were actually needed in the following speech in order for Kennedy to throw his point across but also for the citizens to realize of how bad of a person he was by lying and trying to cover up his mistakes.

Pathos & Logos are both incorporated into the chosen claim. Kennedy was trying to express some innocence in "trying to save Mary Jo", yet he somehow never informed the police. He also tried to share some past experience of the party of the women he remembered and how he was not interested in them. He was trying to show and find some logic in why he could not have possibly been completely blamed with the incident referring to Mary Jo.

Both rhetorical devices and strategies were appropriate for the given speech. Without them the speech would not have had really any meaning to it because the devices not only made up the speech, but they also made a big impact on Kennedy's character and the audience's perception of the story being told.