Michael
Anderson Anderson 1
Sister
Steadman
Writing
150
4
October 2015
Forget Your Fear
On June 5th, 1944, the
eve of the Allied invasion of France, the troops of the United States Third
Army were terrified and restless. They had little idea of the nature of the
battle in which they were about to engage. Throughout history it has been shown
that during times of great peril, the people look to a leader to guide them and
lift their spirits. General Patton was the charismatic leader these soldiers
needed. One of the most controversial generals in American history sought to
motivate his soldiers to do their duty regardless of their overwhelming fear.
General Patton implored his soldiers to do so by using the ethos in his
personality, the way he dressed, and the way he spoke. He also affected his men
with pathos by his use of profanity, developing a sense of camaraderie and
belonging between the soldiers, and emphasizing hatred for the enemy. All of
these tools empowered the soldiers so that their desire to fight honorably
masked their fear.
General Patton’s words and
appearance were filled with a masculine ethos, which was by respected by his
troops because they looked to him as a war role model. Because the 3rd
Army was composed largely of inexperienced troops they awed at the experience
and confidence of the general. Patton deliberately put on a flashy, unique
image to inspire his troops. During the speech, Patton sported his polished
helmet, full dress uniform, gleaming riding boots, and would carry a riding
crop to snap for effect. The general was
Anderson 2
also
always accompanied with his infamous scowl, which he called his “war
face”. His exaggerated persona was
admired by the troops. He encompassed all they desired to be; a
confident,
masculine war hero who feared nothing, especially the “lousy Hun’s” they were
about to meet in battle.
Another way Patton was able to
connect with and motivate his men was his extensive use of profanity. Viewed
unprofessional by some of his other officers, this unorthodox way of speaking
resounded exceptionally well with his men. By speaking this way, the men were
able to view General Patton as “one of them” and not just a distant general.
Perhaps in most environments this type of pathos would not work, but with young
men about to fight for their lives, this language fired them up. Not only did
these detailed insults put them in a fearless frenzy, but they were also was
somewhat humorous, which eased their nerves. His troops were young and
inexperienced so to have a leader connect with them by using their language
allowed them to relax and take their mind off of the seriousness and
brutalities of battle.
Patton also used pathos to make his
men feel like more than just one life in a war. He explains that an army is a
team, and that all of the “individual hero stuff is bullshit.” He then goes on
to say that every single man in the army plays a vital role. This gives the men
meaning and purpose to fighting because not only are they fighting for
themselves, but also they are fighting in a well-oiled machine where if one
part doesn’t work then the other parts stop working. Everyone likes to be a
part of a team because it’s something bigger than his or her self. It was vital
that Patton made his troops feel important because
Anderson 3
in
a scenario like war, many of them felt afraid and alone. These young men were
far away from their families and they had nothing to cling to but each other.
Perhaps one of
the
most moving parts of the speech is when Patton describes the death of a fellow soldier.
“When shells are hitting all around you and you wipe the dirt from your face
and you realize that it’s not dirt, it’s the blood and gut of what was once
your best friend, you’ll know what to do.” By saying this not only is Patton
developing a sense of camaraderie, but also anger and desire to fight. He is
using the natural human instinct to protect what’s dear to them to motivate the
soldiers and take away their fear.
Patton also strengthens the morale
of the troops by demonstrating his hate for the Japanese and Germans.
Throughout the speech he repeatedly insults the enemies with vulgar terms and
names. He reminds the men that the enemies are the reason their families’
safety back home and the security of the nation is being threatened. “We want to
get the hell over there and clean the goddamn thing up, and then get at those
purple-pissing Japs… The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. And
when we get to Berlin, I am personally going to shoot that paper-hanging
son-of-a-bitch Hitler.” By reminding the troops of how evil the enemy is it
puts them in a frenzy wanting to destroy the enemy without regard for fear. He
lets them know that the quickest way back to the people they love is to kill
the ones that threatened them. Insulting the enemy also takes away fear in
another way. The General’s humorous insults and his comical approach toward the
Japanese and Germans made them seem weak and insignificant. This takes away
fear because he’s making his men subconsciously think that the enemy isn’t scary.
Anderson 4
Patton is arguably the greatest war
orator of all time. He was able to connect with his troops in a unique way and
implore them to do their duty regardless of personal fear. He delivered this
speech extemporaneously and with raw emotion. With his natural ethos and using
extreme pathos, the men listened to his colorful words in complete silence. They
knew that even though these words and phrases were humorous, there was
sincerity and seriousness in them. Although there is importance to every moment
in war, the kairos of this speech could not have been better. On the eve of D-day,
these men needed reassurance that what they were doing was right. They were
about to fight the most important battle of World War II and General Patton was
part of the reason they emerged victorious.
No comments:
Post a Comment