Four Freedoms Speech: What's Up With the Closing Lines?
Four Freedoms Speech: What's Up With the Closing Lines?
This nation has placed its destiny in the hands and heads and hearts of its millions of free men and women; and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God. Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose. To that high concept there can be no end save victory. (149-153)
The closing lines, like the opening ones, are...not very famous.
But that's mostly because they're eclipsed by the acclaim of the Four Freedoms, which show up right before he ends the speech. In this conclusion, FDR is basically just recapping what he's already presented:
- The future freedom of the nation is in the hands and faith of its people.
- Freedom is human dignity for everyone everywhere (to be incredibly simplistic about it).
- America is going to help other countries fight tyranny.
- America is strong because it's focused.
- Victory is the only acceptable outcome.
We do have to say, though, that "there can be no end save victory" is one insanely stirring statement.