“Analyzing Political Discourses” Theory and Practice

The use of similes, repetition of haggle and scriptural references in Obamas dialect of inauguration based on Analyzing Political Discourses Theory and Practice by capital of Minnesota Chilton Number of speech 2589 Introduction Political discourses are made to impress, persuade and to underline ideas to qualifying a country. Politicians use specialized writers to write for them their discourses or use a parcel out of time to write wiz, as policy-making discourses are primary(prenominal) for the future out pay off. For example To be voted by the wad or beg off bad situation on an adequate way so that the good deal dont off blockadeed.To achieve this determination, several methods are apply. solely in this essay I testament focus on metaphors, the repetition of undertake brand-news programs and the use of scriptural references, using methods retrovertn by capital of Minnesota Chilton in his book Analyzing Political Discourse, Theory and Practice. As experimental te rritory I used the inaugural speech of Barrack Obama, which he used for his first keisterdidature to become the president of the United States of America. The address by Barrack Obama behind be found in the Appendix. My goal is non save to see what and how he used the methods further as well up as what goal he tried to achieve.It is important to surrender some reason information and what the people perspective of him. As for America and other crack in the world, Obama stands for a new ideology, he promises America better health armorial bearing, the end of the War and solutions to many problems, ever emphasizing that this goal can single achieved as a team/nation but does he take after to give us this image? What tricks did he use? What is a metaphor? Metaphors are used in policy-making discourses to replace words that the consultation doesnt want to hear or could react badly. But what is a metaphor?In literary use, a metaphor (from the Greek metapherin rhetorical trope)1 is defined as an indirect comparison between two or more subjects that are typic whollyy linked by a is a to join the two subjects. As an example we can take succeeding(a) sentence This Man is a beast . This is an elliptical form to punctuate the sentence that the Man is like a beast. Paul Chilton is the opinion that, Metaphors, qua models of governmental realities, as he c every(prenominal)s them, are part of policy-making discourses of straight off and used as vehicles to bring an opinion to a target. 2 We realize now that all of us speak in metaphors whether we realize it or non.For example kisser Johnson, a philosopher, suggests that metaphors not further make our thoughts more vivid and interest but that they actually structure and individualize our perceptions and understanding such that for each unitary individual has a mingled understanding and thoughts roughly a habitual subject. 3 Metaphor is for many people a device of poetic and rhetorical imagi nation and development rather than the ordinary language, which is wrong as turn up above. Metaphor analysis in Barrack Obamas tongue In the pursual points I bequeath reveal several metaphors Obama used and will try to reveal why he used them.But in any case the Biblical references used as a metaphor, or as a distich to transfer his Ideas. 1. CHANGE IS A MOVEMENT Citation out of the Speech 1) Forty-four Americans have now interpreted the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during locomote tides of prosperity and the so far waters of peace. 2) The question we invite today is not whether our government is withal big or too small, but whether it works whether it helps families dominate jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the manage is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. In the first credit entry rising tides and still waters are used as reference point publics, whereas the target domain is the word prosperity and peace. As it can be seen in the phrases rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace here, the sweat is a switch over of location (rising) or a stationary moment (still). If it involves a movement as change of location, it can be associated with the words forward, backward, upward, downward, etc so different directions and movements. The rising tide of prosperity can be seen as a state of prosperity that has moved and is changing, while peace has still not changed.This movement of which Obama is talking just about can also be seen as a flow of natural force (the rising tides) and substance (still waters). In the metaphorical tone in credit 2) the part which acts as source is the phrase We intend to move forward and programs will end where Obama is talking about the ideas of the US-government to provide jobs and a better loving warranty. 4 In both metaphorical expressions, I think Obama wants to tell us that all presidents o f America had taken the presidential oath to develop America.All of their enterprise had the aim of raising economic development and prosperity and that all of these can only be achieved as a nation with a unvoiced political support from the people. So, the WE as a nation, which he uses a lot in his speeches. 2. POLITIC IS A JOURNEY 1) This is the journey we continue today. We die hard the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. 2) Our journey has never been one of short cuts or designatetling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted for those who prefer void to work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, which have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. In the metaphorical expression of the first approval the part which acts as a source domain is the phrase This is the journey we cont inue today whereas the focus of the citation is the American Political life. By saying the sentence This is the journey we continue today gave me the impression that the American people are compared to travelers having a journey to a certain destination.Even though we know that politics is no journey as such but can be seen as such in a metaphorical way. In the metaphorical expression of the fleck citation the part that interacts as source is the phrase Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or commemoratetling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted whereas the target is also the American political life, like in the first citation with another connotation but keeping the idea of a journey in sound judgment. We can see that in both citations have the same idea of a journey which is given to the audience.The idea behind is that the audiences who are involved in political life are like travelers on a journey, with their parking area need in life seen as the goal of this journey. The political activities and semblance is their vehicle used to reach the goal of common interest. 5 3. BIBLICAL REFERANCES AS A LIFESTYLE The citations I used here are taken again in a separate chapter using the theoretical rapprochement given by Paul Chilton in part III chapter 10. 1)We expect a young nation, but, in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. 2) dear is patient, beloved is kind.It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not intimately angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in malefic but rejoices with the truth. It constantly protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. In the 1st citation the source domain given is the phrase time has come to set aside childish things where he targets the lifestyle of the Americans. It gives the impression that the fights they had about political problems are childish and that they should focus to strive a common goal.In the second citation he uses the same idea, again using a citation out of a religious text using as source domain Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking like before the target is the lifestyle of the Americans which Obama criticizes. It is brighten that through these citations Obama tries to reason the population quoting biblical references. Comparing America with childhood and telling them that through love only, again the idea of working together, all goals can be achieved.I wont go deeper into this comparison as I will come back to it later on in the text. frequency of words To see what words Obama used in his speech ofttimes and how many times we had to know how many words are in his whole speech, which lies roughly 2403 words. As such I was able to give the percentage of the most used words. The word Obama laid the most emphasize s is WE which he used 62 times, which can be understood as his speech is about working together as a nation and is also a word used in his slogan Yes WE can. otherwise words he used frequently are6 KeywordRepeatsDensity Nation 12 0,50 New 11 0,46America 9 0,37 Today 7 0,29 People 7 0,29 The repetition of these words sticks with the listeners as such the listener will always guess this words and will combine them with the discourse of Obama. As for mind manipulation it is the repetition that stays in our mind. 7When we are learning or looking at advertisements or when we are learning a song, we always repeat them until we know them by heart. In the case of marketing the advertisements are kept easy and shown more than one so that they stick in our minds and when we have to choose between two product we will chose the one we know or that we can remember of.The same is in political discourses. The more often it is repeated the more we will remember them and bank them. In Obamas case using the words Nation, New etc he tries to underline the idea of freshness in the United States and that it can only work as a NATION. As all presidents the repetition of AMERICA, motivates the American listeners and they feel directly talked to, strengthening also the bond between the people and the nation. Paul Chilton underlines in his book that discourses often use a container concept, which is created by the words used.This container ideology is divided in three structures in intragroup and a exterior which are defined by a saltation which are formed in political discourses to a container- nation with political borders given by the speech. As such it is able for politicians to give the flaw to others, outside of the container while securing the interior of the container. Analysis of Biblical references Apparently it is wonted(a) in American political discourse to employ biblical language8, which is an natural part of the old American public way of speaking.However, given that Obama is a non-traditional and liberal candidate for president,9 it is until now more interesting to analyze the biblical references he used and give possible explanations why used following citations for his speech. We die hard a young nation, but, in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. Obama quoted here, the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 1311, dealing with St. Pauls earn to the church in Corinth.The goal he tried to achieve of this cross example is to also aims at the Muslim, Jewish, Hindi and non-believing Americans, to include them too into the speech, for it is a text that is usually read at wedding ceremonies and is not specified to one religion specifically, as it speaks about true love in the following manner Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes an always perseveres.Love never fails. (1 Corinthians, 134) When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. instanter we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians, 1311) These Letters were written by St. Paul to the church in Corinth in the times of internal struggles and divisions in the church, and when the church was hreatened by immoral influences surrounding the community. St. Pauls letter was a letter of criticism and implorement to the Corinthians to stop the arguing and fighting around different problems and embrace, what he called, the most important virtue love. 10 The choice of this particular biblical reference co uld be perceived as Obamas try to spread the ideology of love loving thy neighbor so that the American people can embrace a notion of racial inclusiveness and ideological diversity, necessary in the time of economic and international crises.Again we can find the idea of a WE. Conclusion It is now obvious that Paul Chilton opening can be applied. We can see that it is the play together of the different methods and many more make a discourse unique and manipulative. But it is important to know in which context the discourse has been written as the context can change the words, emotions and message in a political discourse. In Obamas speech we can find the concept of pragmatism, liberalism, inclusiveness, bridal of religious and ethnic diversity and unity. As such the result of keywords of his influence for presidency.This is shown by the prominent words employed by Obama nation, new and America, and a overall dominance of the personal pronoun We understood as necessary in the tim e of national peril The results of the biblical references, which Paul Chilton explains as only way to motivate and capture Americas population, have shown that Obamas choice of citations (quoting the Corinthians) was to strengthen the notion of unity and brotherly love among the various members of the American diverse society. As such we can see that his methods were well used and can be found by the methods of Paul Chilton.Obama stands for his campaign through his speech and ideology, world wide as a new wind for America that will rebuild and strengthen the country. And we have to remember that Obama is the first president that has been accepted as young and black person as president. Sources Primary source Analyzing Political Discourse, Theory and Practice, Paul Chilton, Routledge, 2004 Bibliography word Discourse Society January 1993 vol. 4 no. 1 7-31 Metaphor in Political Discourse The Case of the Common European House by Paul Chilton and Mikhail Ilyin Moral Imagination Imp lications of Cognitive Science for Ethics, University of Chicago, 1993. Secondary Sources University of Louisville, Article by Judith D. Fischer http//www. law. louisville. edu/node/2720 Online Document, Critical Discourse Analysis by Juraj Harvath https//docs. google. com/viewer? a=v=cachej-4vhWbO6a8Jwww. pulib. sk/elpub2/FF/Ferencik2/pdf_doc/6. pdf+=de=lu=bl=ADGEESgDn7GSv6cJcZ6acGq5vk-rpp0mNE_qyGy5vUUCMEdg4d1M9efiWLiSgl3CRzYChNf3gQkZQ-saUZib0C5oBU-XVpDkee3pDul94RL3VlIR6nWc4j-OIJTNBkD9oZuSmxh4ybhM=AHIEtbRfcX_PIha4KZfnvwVFTzxPnRNSDA Obama, the lion in Winter ttp//www. exec-comms. com/ intercommunicate/2009/01/20/obama-the-lion-in-winter/ -5 Speechwriting Lessons from Obamas Inaugural Speech by Andrew Dlugan http//sixminutes. dlugan. com/inauguration-speech-analysis-barack-obama-inaugural/ Online Document A Critical Discourse Analysis of Barack Obamas Speeches By Junling Wang https//docs. google. com/viewer? a=v=cacheHzMPBXpzbW8Jojs. academypublisher. com/index. php/jltr/article/ download/0103254261/1807+=de=lu=bl=ADGEEShaYaCyse11UxuFQk1KY0Zb0oOh15Ng1vgnuIdLSpdkL4Ia5nqoDh1DV-aO46J-bKQV9Fyfc3mz1MrZ5VTIrAnm85bmHXzt4cJZgNLYXFeuExE4wl1-SjUvUuEWd78WR0jiI5aV=AHIEtbT3Yd_sOMwtzg1_LtcSsaQh2FbYGw Wikipedia article about metaphors http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Metaphor visited on 21 November 2012 St Pauls Letters http//biblescripture. pelf/1Corinthians. html Apendix The whole speech of Obama can be found on BBC http//news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/americas/obama_inauguration/7840646. stm 1 http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Metaphor, visited on 21 November 2012 2 Paul Chilton, Analyzing political discourses, varlet 49 3 Moral Imagination Implications of Cognitive Science for Ethics, University of Chicago, 1993. 4 Obama, the Lion in Winter http//www. exec-comms. com/ web log/2009/01/20/obama-the-lion-in-winter/ 5 Paul Chilton, Analyzing political discourses, Page 51 6 Statistics taken out of Critical discourse analysis by Juraj Harvath (controlled by myself again) 7 A Critical D iscourse Analysis of Barack Obamas Speeches By Junling Wang 8 Paul Chilton, Analyzing political discourses, Page 174 9 Obama, the Lion in Winter http//www. exec-comms. com/blog/2009/01/20/obama-the-lion-in-winter/ 10 St Pauls Letters http//biblescripture. net/1Corinthians. html