1. “Chappaquiddick Apology Speech” Edward (Teddy) Kennedy- July 25, 1969 Shiv Dave, Nihar kommu, Sanoor Pradhan, Sofia MAriona-Gonzalez Walden-1 1

2. Close Reading Part A- “My fellow citizens:I have requested this opportunity to talk to the people of Massachusetts about the tragedy which happened last Friday evening.” Despite this sentence being the very first sentence of the speech, it gave us a clear and thorough outline of Edward Kennedy’s speech and why he delivered it. His speech persuaded the audience on why he did not commit the crime and “his side of the story.” “You and I share many memories-- some of them have been glorious, some have been very sad…The opportunity to work with you and serve Massachusetts has made my life worthwhile.” Kennedy’s motive was to get past previous events and dilute the audience from the tragedy at hand by bringing up his memories of serving Massachusetts. He was found guilty and unfortunately spent two months confined in prison cell. 2

3. Close Reading Part 2 Apologetic- Although Kennedy’s main goal during his speech was to convince the audience that he was not guilty and the true story of the incident, Kennedy was never the less sorry about the death of one his dearest friends and he stated he sorry in the introduction. Prevent- The whole incident could’ve been prevented if not the influence of alcohol and Kennedy understood that and regretted the unearthly decision he made that night. Guilty- No matter how Kennedy tries to “sweet talk” the situation, he was the one driving the car under the influence of alcohol and he caused her death. Inadequate- After Kennedy’s two month prison sentence and series of mishaps, he cannot continue to be Massachusetts senator and should resign. Grief- The solemnly most emotional feeling Kennedy got when he realized his beloved friend died. Kennedy was frightened and shocked by this and discussed his other immediate emotions. 3

4. Contextual Analysis Occurred on July 18, 1969, the same night as the Apollo 11 Lunar landing mission Shortly after leaving a party on Chappaquiddick Island, Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy of Massachusetts drives an Oldsmobile off a wooden bridge into a tide-swept pond. Kennedy escaped the submerged car, but his passenger, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, did not. The senator did not report the fatal car accident for 10 hours. Incident may have influenced Kennedy’s decision not to ever campaign for president despite his numerous qualifications and legacy. Kennedy’s wife, Joan Bennet-Kennedy, was pregnant during the extensive media coverage. She suffered a miscarriage, she and her family blame it on the stress the incident caused her and her husband. Many conspiracy theories surround the incident. One of the most popular being that Kennedy was having an affair with Mary Jo and had gotten her pregnant so instead of having to deal with the scandal he would rather have killed her 4

5. Purpose and claim The purpose of the chappaquiddick speech was for Edward Kennedy to apologize for the death of Mary Jo in a car accident, and to convince the audience that he truly regrets what he has done in seek of their forgiveness. Kennedy’s speech effectively although he avoided implications of “true tragedy” Kennedy claims that he is truly sorry for the death of Mary Jo and that the rumors of him leaving his seat in the senate are incorrect although he will only continue to keep him position if the people he represents remain to have full confidence in him. 5 Kennedy pleaded guilty and was given a two month prison sentence.

6. Structure and Strategy The overall structure of the “Chappaquiddick Apology Speech” was chronological order revolving around the story of the Edward Kennedy’s accident on Chappaquiddick Island. The former Massachusetts Senator drove a car into a pond on accident, killing passenger Mary Jo Kopechne, and then failed to report the accident immediately after it occurred. The speech relied on pathos to convince the audience that Kennedy, the orator, made a genuine mistake and was truly sorry for what happened. It is a fairly sound strategy given the context, but a closer look at the speech reveals multiple inconsistencies in Kennedy’s story. To begin with, Kennedy claims he was not under the influence of liquor whilst driving on the day of the tragic accident, but he did not go to the authorities until the next morning- which means we cannot be sure if he was sober that night. Kennedy also claims that he was shocked and in trauma immediately after the accident, yet he says he attempted to brave the “strong and murky current” to save Kopechne. According to the speech, Kennedy also acquired the help of two friends that night, whom he instructed to not alarm Kopechne’s friends. The use of chronological order and pathos in the “Chappaquiddick Apology Speech” makes it appealing to the audience, convincing them to trust and believe Kennedy. A closer look, however, reveals inconsistencies in Kennedy’s stories and parts that do not make sense. 6

7. Evaluation The Chappaquiddick Apology speech was a well written speech used to persuade Kennedy’s audience that he was sorry for the death of Mary Jo. His only evidence to explain what events occurred that night were his own experiences, which he used to his advantage. Without their being any other evidence to go off of he was able to close the incident with a two month prison sentence. Whether or not Kennedy could back up his claim of regret and feeling sorry, is a matter of opinion. Pathos was used in the speech to connect to the audience and possibly garner pity for the orator, Kennedy. Overall, Kennedy’s speech proved to have a few inconsistencies in the story, but his use of pathos and ethos (his credibility as a U.S. Senator) was effective -- he was able to move on with his life, without the case being labeled as manslaughter. 7

8. Bibliography "Chappaquiddick Incident." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Aug. 2015. Web. 27 Sept. 2015. "Incident on Chappaquiddick Island." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2015. 8