Rhetorical Devices In Obama's Speech
On March 8,2008 Obama made a speech for his campaign. The speech was in response to race and racism and how we as a nation need to let it pass.Obama also want to clear up accusations about Reverened Wright.Jeremiah Wrights, his pastor was involved in a scandal about anti-white and anti-american. With association to Wrights audience automically assume Obama shares the same beliefs. Persuading his audience to potential voters and using the constitution as an example by showing that today some of us are still not practicing by the constitution. He successfully persuaded his audience trust by getting their votes by using ethos,parallelism,and assonance. Obama effectively convinces his audience about his background . He states “I’ve gone to some of the best schools
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in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nation” and “I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters”. In the statement he was saying that he has been through the struggle but also been successful.He connects his personal life with his audience so they know that he went through the same thing as they did and they can relate to him from coming from a mixed family.Using ethos it shows his credibility and also showing emotion.Obama described in the sentence that shows that he was privileged enough to go to the best school while others weren't.Furthermore, he establishes more credibility by saying “I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas”, Obama growing up mixed showed the audience that whites and blacks can come together as one and that some people might not accept it but he doesn't choose one race over the other. In addition, Obama also implies“This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign – to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together – unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren”.Stating that statement it brings power into what he is saying. Using small phrases such as more gives the audience with a repeating message in their brain making it stand out more. Parallelism emphasizes his goal of trying to persuade his audience to vote.By repeating the word more than once he wants the audience to move forward and join together as one creating a memorable speech. He is trying to convince the audience that even though some of us come from different stories we all have the same goal and if we work together we will have a better future. Finally, he states “Like other black churches, Trinity’s services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor.
They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America.Like other black churches, Trinity’s services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor. They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America”. Using assonance added a musical effect by using the same vowel.Obama used the statement by bringing his speech to life and giving us another story.He convinces us that the church wasn't what the media portrayed of them.Using words such as dancing,clapping,screaming and shouting shows how people are enjoying themselves and how happy they
are.
He successfully persuaded his audience trust by getting their votes by using ethos,parallelism,and assonance. Obama’s potential voters can see that race is a problem and that we cannot grow together
in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nation” and “I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters”. In the statement he was saying that he has been through the struggle but also been successful.He connects his personal life with his audience so they know that he went through the same thing as they did and they can relate to him from coming from a mixed family.Using ethos it shows his credibility and also showing emotion.Obama described in the sentence that shows that he was privileged enough to go to the best school while others weren't.Furthermore, he establishes more credibility by saying “I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas”, Obama growing up mixed showed the audience that whites and blacks can come together as one and that some people might not accept it but he doesn't choose one race over the other. In addition, Obama also implies“This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign – to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together – unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren”.Stating that statement it brings power into what he is saying. Using small phrases such as more gives the audience with a repeating message in their brain making it stand out more. Parallelism emphasizes his goal of trying to persuade his audience to vote.By repeating the word more than once he wants the audience to move forward and join together as one creating a memorable speech. He is trying to convince the audience that even though some of us come from different stories we all have the same goal and if we work together we will have a better future. Finally, he states “Like other black churches, Trinity’s services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor.
They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America.Like other black churches, Trinity’s services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor. They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America”. Using assonance added a musical effect by using the same vowel.Obama used the statement by bringing his speech to life and giving us another story.He convinces us that the church wasn't what the media portrayed of them.Using words such as dancing,clapping,screaming and shouting shows how people are enjoying themselves and how happy they
are.
He successfully persuaded his audience trust by getting their votes by using ethos,parallelism,and assonance. Obama’s potential voters can see that race is a problem and that we cannot grow together