Rhetorical devices

Direct address and rhetorical questions

Throughout his “Crisis of Confidence” speech, Jimmy Carter directly addresses the audience, which highlights the fact that he wants them to help him combat the energy crisis. “And I’m asking you for your own good and for your nation’s security to take no unnecessary trips”. This means that he wants every individual to take action and make changes in their lives. 

There are also many instances where Carter uses the pronoun “we”, placing himself on the same level as his audience. This shows that the problems he is addressing concern the whole nation. Moreover, the use of rhetorical questions has the same effect. For example, after Carter talks about how the nation lacks confidence and how it is flawed in many ways, he says the following thing: “Often you see paralysis and stagnation and drift. You don’t like it, and neither do I. What can we do?” Through this, he highlights the idea that all members of society should work together to become better. The rhetorical question also helps Carter transition to the next part of his speech where he suggests solutions for solving the crisis. 

Repetition 

Carter uses repetition to persuade the audience to believe him that he will take action in order to stop the energy crisis. Carter wants to show his determination through the constant use of “I will”: “What I do promise you is that I will lead our fight, and I will enforce fairness in our struggle, a...