Rhetorical devices

Allusions and direct references

In his 1982 “Evil Empire” speech, Ronald Reagan makes several allusions and direct references meant to strengthen his message. For example, Reagan refers to “the Solidarity movement in Poland”, which was a social movement fighting for the rights of workers and advocating for social change. Moreover, the Solidarity movement played an important role at the end of Communism in Poland. 

Reagan also alludes to Sir Winston Churchill’s “Masters of Our Fate” speech, which was delivered to the US Congress in December 1941: 

During the dark days of the Second World War, when this island was incandescent with courage, Winston Churchill exclaimed about Britain's adversaries, ‘What kind of people do they think we are?’ Well, Britain's adversaries found out what extraordinary people the British are. 

In this example, Reagan alludes to Churchill’s speech and attitude after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In his speech, Churchill condemns Japanese aggression and totalitarian political systems. In his turn, Reagan uses Churchill’s example to condemn the Soviet Union and to predict the victory of democracy: “So, let us ask ourselves, ‘What kind of people do we think we are?’ And let us answer, ‘Free people, worthy of freedom and determined not only to remain so but to help others gai...