Steel Companies STEAL from people
President Kennedy employs techniques of diction to focus on lowering steel prices.
One way President Kennedy does this is by utilizing diction that display the counteractive effect of higher steel prices, which causes the audience anger to the steel corporations. President Kennedy believes that the rise in steel prices will “handicap our efforts” to prevent inflation and “eat up the pensions of our older citizens”.Kennedy talks about innocent subjects like pensions of the elderly with negative words like handicap and eat up; this creates a feeling of anger in the audience because this shows how the steel companies are stealing from the people, specifically the older citizens. President Kennedy wants the audience to have this feeling of anger because it will motivate them to take action against the steel companies and side with him. President Kennedy also uses diction to create a feeling of concern in the American people. President Kennedy says not only will the cost of steel rise, but “the cost of steel is imitated by the rest of the industry” making it more expensive for everyday items for an American family. It will also make it more difficult for the United States to “ withstand competition from foreign imports” and ultimately lead to difficult problems in wages and responsible prices. Kennedy creates a feeling of concern by telling the American people that everything in their lives will start to cost more. This worry of prices motivates the Americans to save money. This helps Kennedys purpose because it will make the people side with him because they want to save money. The connections Kennedy makes with his choices of diction, ultimately influences the people to believe that the rise in steel prices will hurt the economy and the people making his speech successful.