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Maggie Purcell
Professor Ben Henderson
CAS 137
1 October 2013
Rhetorical Analysis of Eleanor Roosevelts Address to the United Nations

On December 9, 1948 Eleanor Roosevelt spoke before the United Nations in
Paris to comment on the recently adopted Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Roosevelt was the leading force in the enactment of the Declaration sanctioned by a
council of 58 members all of different political, cultural and religious backgrounds.
She had to use examples that were recognizable and had ties to the various
countries within the conference. Eleanor Roosevelts speech after the enactment of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights united the very diverse audience behind
a single document. Roosevelt was able to garner support from 58 various nations by
providing relatable justification for the document and also by establishing a need for
the document.
The audience to which Roosevelt is speaking to is concrete and also abstract.
She is speaking directly to the members of the conference. However, she is not
trying to convince this audience that this document was a positive thing for the
world. One reason for that is the fact that these people contributed in the
production of the document. They are aware of what it says and support what the
document states. The abstract part comes in because she is addressing the citizens
of these nations, for this is a document that will directly affect them. Thus she uses a
more conversational tone then if simply speaking to policy makers.
A way that Roosevelt gathers support from the audience is by showing the
desperate need for the document that the United Nations recently passed. It is in
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the wake of World War II and Nazi Germany era, a time when people became well
aware of the injustices a nation can place upon people. Therefore this makes this
document more necessary for the people; as they are searching for something that
will help to prevent another atrocity such as the one that just occurred from ever
happening again. The kairos of this speech is ultimately perfect because people
have just witnessed horrible violations of human rights, and are thus seeking a
change to that. Through this use of pathos Roosevelt is able to convince the
audience that the past horrors that had recently occurred should not occur again;
and in order to prevent these atrocities, this document must be enacted.
Roosevelt utilizes commonly recognized ideals of justice to gain multi-
national support for the document. She references the Magna Carta, the French
Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789), the United States Bill of Rights, along with
comparable declarations by other nations worldwide. This establishes credibility
for the declaration which she portraying, for if it is comparable to these well-known
and well-respected documents it must be a just doctrine. The documents she
references are all known for their protection of justice and rights for the people,
making the Universal Declaration of Human Rights something that the people of the
world can see as just. Stating these historical elements also gives Eleanor herself
credibility. She is putting forth good ethos, for it shows she is someone who is well
versed in her field of work, human rights, and that this document was crafted very
carefully by examining similar past examples that have achieved success in their
country of origin. By using a variety of documents, instead of simply ones from the
United States, she brings in the entire audience. For example, when a French
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delegate hears about the Declaration of the Rights of Man, he will feel a sense of
emotion and recognition with his own nations writing. Roosevelts use of
international declarations to support her claims creates a greater tie with the very
diverse audience.
Roosevelts emphasis on the fact that this Declaration is a compromise
between 58 different nations is also useful in showing that the document alone is
not furthering one countrys one need. By stating 58 states have found such a large
measure of agreement in the complex field of human rights she stresses the ethical
background of the document. This is a measure that is intended to represent the
needs of the global community, thus allowing every nation to feel some sort of tie to
the Declaration. This is also vital for her audience, for it is not just one nation but
also most of the countries of the world. The document itself, not just Roosevelt, has
ethos. Therefore by showing the support that all these countries have shown she is
gaining the support of her audience.
Additionally Roosevelt claims that the document is neither a treaty nor an
international agreement, but rather a guideline for the people. This allows for the
declaration to have a personal feel. People would be less involved in something that
was simply political; but rather she is stating that this document establishes
principles of basic human rights and freedoms. Therefore this connects more with
the citizens, for it makes it seem like this will directly impact them, for it is
concerning their rights. This again ties in the emotional aspect of the audience, for
they would actually be able to connect with this and feel a sense of civicness to
follow such a peoples document.
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It is interesting to note that Roosevelt, being a woman, had to convince a
committee of mostly men to agree that all people had equal rights. In order to do
this she used testimony from other well-known speeches to further her points that
this Declaration was indeed a good thing for the world. She never references her
own opinions, but rather says my country and referencing past documents. At
times she does interject her own opinion by stating I, but she rarely does so and
almost detaches her as a person speaking, but rather a nation.
Eleanor Roosevelts speech on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
presents an interesting rhetorical situation. She utilizes historical evidence, and
creates a sense of community to convince her audience that the Declaration is in
deed a positive thing for the world. Through her references to history she is able to
establish an emotional tie with the audience and also credibility for both herself and
the document.









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Works Cited
"American Rhetoric: On the Adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
American Rhetoric: On the Adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2013.
Richard N. Gardner; Richard N. Gardner, Professor Of International Law At Columbia
University, Was Ambassador To Italy From 1977 To. "Eleanor Roosevelt's Legacy:
Human Rights." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Dec. 1988. Web. 02 Oct.
2013.