A more perfect union - Karakter: 12 PDF

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In this assignment my focus will be on the rhetorical pentagram, the language in the speech, and other rhetorical devices. I will come across the different forms of appeal and rhetorical devices and show how Obama uses them to his advantage. In the end, I will discuss the matter of the speech.
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Description

A More Perfect Union In this assignment my focus will be on the rhetorical pentagram, the language in the speech, and other rhetorical devices. I will come across the different forms of appeal and rhetorical devices and show how Obama uses them to his advantage. In the end, I will discuss the matter of the speech. The speech is written and told Barack Hussein Obama II, who was the 44th president of the United States. The speech revolves around the fact that we’re better united, and that real progress and change will be achieved as a unit. In the speech draws Obama significant parallels between the struggles he has been through in his life and the struggles that the United States has been trough. This makes an exceptional effect on the listeners; it allows them to relate to Obama since he previously has been in the most of his voters’ shoes.

The speech was given at the national constitution center in Philadelphia on the 18th of March 2008. The speech “A more perfect union” was given prior to the speech in August, where he accepted the nomination for the presidency of the United States. Obama eventually became the 44th president and made great history by being the first Afro-American president of the United States. Prior the Obama running for president, he was a Democratic senator in the state Illinois. The type of speech is deliberative, because Obama is a politician and it’s a political speech. He talks about the past and future. He tries to persuade people to vote for him, for a better future. Obama promises certain political acts if he gets elected. Obama is the writer of the speech, and he is therefore the one delivering the message to the people. Obama spoke for a large crowd with a diversity of religion and ethnicity, the crowd mostly consisted of minorities, and he managed to unite all these people with a simple and common goal; To see beyond skin-color and have equal opportunities. Obama appeals to the large and varied crowd, by addressing issues to which the crowd can relate, in addition he also talks about the issues he has had throughout his life, and manifests that will and hard work, will pay off in the end. Today is racism and inequality still an important topic for everyone to discuss. Obama has been in most of his voters’ shoes, and he has managed to turn that into a strength. As a result of his background as a normal citizen, he has a way of speaking both formally and informal. While speaking formally he shows how well educated he is, but because of his background and sometimes informally talking, he is relatable to the listeners. Obama manages to speak in a way which he uses rhetorical devices, one of the devices he makes use of is allusion, in his first sentence

of the speech, he quotes relatable and understandable, and this showcases his regular and normal upbringing. Obama uses a diversity of the founding fathers and the law of slavery in the speech. This is also an allusion due to it being a quote from a source with great credibility, but simultaneously it is in a way an illusion. Due to this is that the constitution being based on justice and equality, this fact is in the most cases true, but regarding the African Americans, who believed that they finally would receive justice and equality, but this was an illusion since slavery still was allowed. Aside of using allusion as rhetorical devices, Obama uses anaphora, listing and metaphors. Obama uses repetition and listing in a very clever way by showcasing the change and progress; “Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots”. This tells the listeners that we’re stronger together and change will be achieved as a unit. The anaphora almost has the same effect, because it further proves Obamas case. Throughout the speech he uses “I” and “We” a lot. The “I” describes his early life and childhood, and that he didn’t get anything handed to him and had to fight more or less on his own in order to be where he is to this day and become successful. But now in the present he makes use of “We”, because he now has got support, and is a part of the minority and is still fighting for equality for all. The last rhetorical device he makes use of is an important specific metaphor. He mentions that the original document, which was produced, was damaged by the nations that original the sin of slavery. Therefore, they decided that the best solution was to allow the slavery to continue, to retain the support. But however, Obama probably brings this statement up, because he is tired of seeing this topic and issue being procrastinated. The issue concerning slavery might have been worked out, but the racial discrimination is still a very active topic and is clearly seen thriving to this day, an example is the many African Americans who is killed by cops.

Obama is a man that people trust, he is seen as reliable and credible, he uses ethos in the sense of him having experienced some of the same struggles, as the individuals in every state of The United States and in the fact that he has overcome these struggles. In addition, he makes use of pathos in the sense of patriotism. He speaks about the great amount of love he has for America, and that he honestly and truly believes in the American dream, social mobility and that the United States is the country of opportunities. Finally, Obama uses logos, and he does this in various of occasions. One of the times he makes use of logos is to support the claim, that today’s racism is implanted in the history of the United States. He talks about that many issues that exist in the present is due to the earlier generations.

In conclusion, Obama uses a wide variety of rhetorical devices to support, strengthen and back up his arguments. Among these devices he uses ethos, pathos and logos. Barack Obama is a man that acts both professional and unprofessional, and with that he manages to unite individuals and give everyone a voice. In the speech he mentions the minorities, but in particular the African Americans, he points out the struggles that they’re facing, but in addition Obama has got the solution for the struggles. Obama manages to direct his focus on the minorities, but still maintain the support from the rest of the population. In the end Barack Obama got the amount of love and support that led him to be the 44th president of the United States of America....