The Influence of Words During Times of War Essay

The Influence of Words During Times of War - Essay Example The Power of Words in Wartime by Robin Lakoff (2005) is an article describing just how powerful words can be a weapon. The article centers around the history of words used in wartime, focusing on the descriptive words that are typically used to describe 'the enemy'; barbarians, infidels, Japs, Yankees, Frogs. The article suggests that these words help to bring one side closer together by grouping the enemy as something negative, something outside of themselves. It gives a sense of supremacy to one side, often focusing on physical or cultural differences between the enemy and the home side. Killing another person is murder, but killing a 'target' or a 'Hun' in the event of war is something different, and just shows how powerful words can be in changing the normal morals of an individual. Churchill's Powerful Words. As previously mentioned, Churchill and his powerful speeches have been considered one of the most important elements in the Allied win of the Second World War (Brekle, 1989 ). "Give us the tools and we will finish the job† (Churchill, 2003) are the famous words of Churchill to Franklin D. Roosevelt, allowing the nation to see the confidence of Churchill, bringing faith, courage and hope to the nation. It suggests that Churchill himself had a great amount of faith in the Allied forces, and it is sometimes this type of faith that is needed to give confidence to an army, confidence being something that is perhaps more important than technology in winning a war (Oliver, 1987).... Churchill's Powerful Words As previously mentioned, Churchill and his powerful speeches have been considered one of the most important elements in the Allied win of the Second World War (Brekle, 1989). "Give us the tools and we will finish the job† (Churchill, 2003) are the famous words of Churchill to Franklin D. Roosevelt, allowing the nation to see the confidence of Churchill, bringing faith, courage and hope to the nation. It suggests that Churchill himself had a great amount of faith in the Allied forces, and it is sometimes this type of faith that is needed to give confidence to an army, confidence being something that is perhaps more important than technology in winning a war (Oliver, 1987). Churcill is also famous for saying "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning† (Churchill, 2003). This again was a powerful quote at the time, stirring the forces and the nation into believing that there is so me hope that the tragedies of war would begin to end. In this quote, Churchill acknowledges the past, present and future struggles of the war, but does so in such a confident manner. There are numerous more quotes that can be used to show Churchill's rhetoric and how instrumental it was in instilling hope, but these serve to give evidence of his skill and its power during wartime. The Rhetoric of Roosevelt Roosevelt was also known for his skill in rhetoric. Whilst Churchill seemed more focused on giving the forces confidence on the battlefield, Roosevelt is possibly more associated with letting the nation know that the cause they were fighting for was the right cause. This is an important tool in persuading soldiers to sign up to fight; no-one wants to fight for