“A Rendezvous with Destiny”: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Proverbial Rhetoric for Freedom and Peace

Abstract

Abstract

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) is acknowledged to have been one of the greatest American presidents getting the country beyond the depression and guiding it through the Second World War. As such he was an effective communicator, persuader, and at times manipulator. He was very much aware of the importance of language as he dealt with the American people in his famous Fireside Chats, with Congress, and with world leaders like Churchill but also with the general population; from students, parents, and workers to political adversaries like isolationists, communists, and labor leaders. Roosevelt had a keen interest in language as a communicative tool, insisting on using plain English and common sense in his communications enriched by traditional folk expressions. Of special interest is his inaugural address of March 4, 1933, with the sententious remark “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” that will forever be attached to his name. His “four freedoms” phrase, insisting on the freedom of speech, religion, fear, and want, became a leitmotif together with his policy of the good neighbor based on the Bible proverb “Love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:39) with which he emphasized positive international relations and world peace. He was keen to coin his own sententious remarks, as for example his declaration that the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, will forever be “A date which will live in infamy.” Having had a solid religious upbringing, Roosevelt was well acquainted with proverbs from the Bible that he employed frequently to add authority, didacticism, and an element of faith in the future to his uplifting rhetoric. He was equally fond of folk proverbs that he cited knowing that they would ring a bell with his listeners who were eager enough to accept their traditional wisdom. His speeches are also rich in proverbial expressions that made them accessible and at times entertaining by way of their folksy language. Animal metaphors as telling indicators of human behavior are quite prevalent, and so are maritime phrases as symbols of difficult times that Roosevelt as the captain of the ship of state and as an experienced sailor employed with much rhetorical skill.