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Barbara Bush Speech Analysis

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Barbara Bush Speech Analysis
Barbara Bush’s Commencement Speech

Barbara Bush has a very good ethos as a writer. Throughout her speech she utilizes that, along with much pathos to help bring across her message: that today a new world is forming, and the students of Wellesley College are the future of society, so find where you think you fit in to society, not where others say you have to go.

In her speech, Barbara Bush discusses how she went to the People’s Republic of China, which is where the future of society will be. This definitely strengthens her ethos. Bush also continues on to talk about how she chose literacy as her place in life, which helps to qualify her as a writer and a speaker. As she wraps up her speech, Bush brings up her life in the “White House as the President’s spouse”. This final statement really solidifies her ethos. All of this helps to support her message, because she uses herself as a sort of example or role model for the students. She traveled to the future of society. She went where she thought she fit in life, as a writer. She married the future president because she wanted to, not because others thought it would be a good match. Everything she discusses with her ethos supports her message.

Some of the strongest points that Barbara Bush made in her speech were supported by her use of pathos. Bush referenced many things like children’s games and Ferris Bueller to help make the audience relate to what she was saying, laugh, and to get the point better. Bush goes in to great depth with a metaphor about the game: “Giants, Wizards, and Dwarfs.” This metaphor is where most of the meaning in her speech came from, especially from the little girl who wanted to be a mermaid. This little girl decided that society, the game, couldn’t tell her she had to be a giant, wizard or dwarf if she wanted to be a mermaid. This is the point Bush tries to make to the students at Wellesley College.

A role model for the students and the first lady, Barbara Bush uses boat loads of

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