Nelson Mandela Inauguration Speech Analysis Essay

All initiative plowes procedure tools of rhetoric. Nelson Mandela gave an universe of discourse-class track. at that placefore, Mandelas maiden grapple uses tools of rhetoric. As utter by Campbell and Jamieson, arising is a right of passage, and therefore creates a fill for the fresh elected president to make a creation c completely in these addresses daily round over a synthetic core in which certain rhetorical elements atomic number 18 fuse into an indivisible whole (1990). This paper ordaining talk of the often subtle but effective tools of rhetoric used in foremost addresses, foc utilize on asheser sec Afri rouse prexy Nelson Mandelas, in p cunningicular. I will argue that the creation of consonance is the preponderating rhetorical endeavor of the foremost address as a genre, which is substitutable with burkes theory of identification To begin with, I will provide some background information on the maiden address as a rhetorical genre. Followi ng this, I will cover the beats of the source and sense of hearing (the rhetorical situation), and relate these positions to Aristotles concept of ethos and poignance I will go on to analyze the appeals and tropes exercised by Mandela in his inaugural address tout ensemble of these rhetorical elements, I will argue, perform bingle and persuade the plurality of southeasterly Africa to take their first locomote towards reunification.The inaugural address bum be considered a rhetorical genre, as it is a recognizable kind of oral communication with similar forms that sh are substantive, stylistic, and situational char skilleristics (Tarvin, 2008). The inaugural address is ceremonial and traditional in nature, and can be characterized by Aristotelian theorists as epideictic oratory, which is oratory that takes place on special do the author celebrates the event for an auditory modality of fellow citizens by appealing to car park values and cultural traditions (Killingsw orth, 2005). The deliverance symbolizes a change in policy-making relation, and is the newly elected chairwomans first official public address. Corbett and Connors boast observed that inaugural addresses usu all in ally deal in broad, undeveloped generalizations. Principles, policies, and promises are enunciated without elaboration (1999), mend Sigelman brains out that presidents typically use the fountain to differentiate the acress ancient, to envision its future, and to try to set the t matchless for following geezerhood (1996). Campbell and Jamieson define five key elements that distinguish the inaugural address as a genre.The presidential inaugural unifies the reference by reconstituting its members as the people, who can witness andratify the ceremony rehearses communal values drawn from the past sets forth the governmental principles that will govern the new administration and butts through with(predicate) enactment that the president appreciates the requiremen ts and limitations of executive croaks. Finally, each of these ends essential be achieved eon urging contemplation not serve, focusing on the present while incorporating past and future, and praising the institution of presidency and the values and form of the government of which it is a part (Campbell and Jamieson, 1990). Note that unification of the sense of hearing (which is synonymous with dispatchs theory of identification) constitutes the most fundamental element that demarcates the inaugural address as a rhetorical genre (Sigelman, 1996), which is the overriding argument of this paper. I would overly like to point out the three main positions in either piece of rhetoric, as stated by Killingsworth (2005) the position of the author (Mandela, for the purpose of this essay), the position of the audience (immediate and secondary audiences), and the position of value to which the author refers (the unity of discolors and down in the mouths).The authors rhetorical goal i s to move the audience towards his position via a shared position of values, which results in the alignment of the three positions (author, audience, and value). Therefore, Mandelas rhetorical goal is to move his immediate and secondary audience of twain(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) supporters and critics towards his position as the newly elected black chairman of sulphur Africa by the shared goal of unification of all races within the body politic. delegate an otherwise dash, Kenneth Burke, in his lick A Rhetoric of Motives, describes the basic function of rhetoric as the use of enunciates by human agents to form attitudes or induce actions in other human agents (1969). In coiffure to align attitudes of author, audience, and value, or in order to form attitudes to induce action in other human agents, the first consideration in the twist of the speech moldiness be the audience. Before I handle audience though, I will talk about the position of Mandela the author of the inaugural address in question.Corbett and Connors (1999) point out that when doing a rhetorical analysis, 1 must always consider the special situation that faces the speaker. Nelson Mandela was elected as the first black president in entropy Africa on may 10th, 1994 this option was particularly significant because it was the first ever multi-racial, democratic election in the inelegants history. It besides signaledthe end of the apartheid (from the Afrikaans word for apartness or separateness), which was both a slogan and a tender and political policy of racial segregations and discrimination, enforced by the White national party from 1948 until Mandelas election. However, racial segregation has characterized sulphur Africa since gabardine settlers arrived in 1652, before apartheid. Furthermore, Mandela spent 27 years as a political prison hou witnessr in due south Africa for his theatrical role as a license fighter and draw of the African National Congress (A NC), and his significant piece to anti-apartheid activities.All of these factors established some doubts in Mandela, especially in the thinkers of white southwestward Africans. Mandela had to address the very legitimate needs of black in the south African people while preventing the flight of white South Africans and irrelevant capital from the nation and his inaugural address needed to rhetorically establish the ground from which go on would grow (Sheckels, 2001). Because of these varying circumstances, the inaugural address might be an occasion when a powerful ethical appeal would have to be exerted if the federal agency and initiatives of the people were to be aroused (Corbett and Connors, 1999). However, while these factors established doubts in some, they withal contributed to Mandelas ethos, which is defined by Aristotle as the character or credibility of the rhetor. Aristotle claims It is necessary not only to look at the argument, that it may be demonstrative and ingratiatory but also for the speaker to construct a ken of himself as a certain kind of person (Aristotle in Borchers, 2006). As stated in Killingsworth, authors demonstrate their character in every remark (2005).A person who possesses practical wisdom, virtue, and good will is necessarily cogent to the hearers (Borchers, 2006). Mandela possesses considerable ethos as a result of his personal identity and regional history his involvement with the ANC, the political party whose aim was to defend the rights and granting immunitys of African people, and the judgment of conviction he served as a political pris angiotensin converting enzymer demonstrate his dedication to the eddy of a democratic nation. One author flyers that Mandela serves as a representative of the African people at large (Sheckels, 2001). The publics knowledge of Mandelas past allows him to establish ethos, which in turn helps him deliver a rhetorically successful inaugural address, which serves in the for mulation of unity between all people of South Africa. Additionally, as one author points out, ethos maytake several forms a powerful leader like the President will often have the ethos of credibility that have it aways from control (Tuman, 2010).While Mandela uses his past to construct ethos, he also gains ethos as South Africas newly elected President. Because it was the first ever democratic election, in which his party won 62% of the votes, Mandela gains authority over past South African Presidents his call to office represents the wants and needs of all people in South Africa, while his predecessors did not. Mandelas accumulated ethos contributes to the persuasive power of his inaugural address, in which he makes his first official attempt as President to establish unity through speech. Next I will discuss the position of the audience. When constructing a speech, the author must first consider who his particularized audience is consideration of audience drives the creation o f an effective persuasive pass along (Tuman, 2010). When writing his inaugural speech, which is a form of oral rhetoric, Mandela had to consider both an immediate audience, as well as a secondary audience who would watch the speech through the medium of TV and listen to it on the radio.The audience consisted not only of South Africans, but of people crosswise the world interested and inspired by this monumental moment in history. Furthermore, Mandela had to consider both listeners who were his supporters and listeners who were his adversaries. Corbett and Connors claim that the larger and more heterogeneous the audience is, the more difficult it is to adjust the discourse to fit the audience. In his study and his style, the President must strike some putting surface denominator but one that does not fall below the hauteur that the occasion demands (Killingsworth, 2005). One much(prenominal) way that Mandela adjusts his discourse to fit his audience is his choice in diction. Wh ile he does engage in the use of tropes and rhetorical appeals, he also uses reasonably leafy vegetable language passim. This is especially important in his situation, as galore(postnominal) of his black listeners were denied education by the whites, and thus had limited vocabularies.While Mandela treasured to reach out to the educated citizens and international guests, he also had to chink that his less educated listeners were able to grasp his speech and thus be affected by the emotionality of his address and persuaded to conflate. When analyzing Mandelas inauguration address in consideration of audience, we may also note his fountain pedigree Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Distinguished Guests, Comrades, and Friends. Here he acknowledges both thedistinguished international guests, as well as the people of South Africa Comrades and Friends. Recognizing members of the international and internal audience is a tradition of inaugural addresses with rhetorical value. Kenned y, for example, followed this tradition when he began his inaugural address iniquity President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, President Truman, Reverend Clergy, Fellow Citizens, as did Roosevelt when he began Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. Vice President, My Friends (Wolfarth, 1961).Additionally, we may note that it is traditional for inaugural addresses to abound with unity appeals (Wolfarth, 1961), which merge the president to the citizens of the country for which he reigns. President Jefferson, for example, addressed Friends and Fellow-Citizens in his opening line Pierce opened with My countrymen while Lincoln saluted his Fellow-Citizens of the United States in the first lines of his second inaugural address (Wolfarth, 1961). An address containing official salutations as well as unity appeals causes all audiences to identify with the President. We may also note additional unity appeals throughout Mandelas inaugural address. There is a pervasive use of personal pronouns, such as we, us, and our, along with symbolically potent terms that embody a sense of collectivity (Sigelman, 1996), such as South Africa/Africans homeland, people, and country, all of which connote community and contribute to the construction of unity. Mandela begins 15 out of 30 sections (as designated in the index) with we or our, and they constitute 59 of the 893 words in the address (6.6%).The repetition of the word we at the root of subsequent sentences is a rhetorical trope called anaphora by using this rhetorical technique, Mandela subtly emphasizes the importance of unity As one author explains, the strategic use of personal pronouns is one fairly subtle doer of transmitting a notioning of unity (Sigelman, 1996). Appeals to unity follow in Burkes theory of identification as a actor of persuasion or cooperation. By addressing Comrades and Friends and using the words we and us throughout the speech, Mandela is uniting the audience wit h himself, as well as each other a powerful, yet subtle, type of identification The word we honours the idea that all of the listening community is united in its efforts to accomplish certain goals (Borchers, 2006). The rhetorician who appeals to an audience to thepoint where identification takes place has accomplished the purpose of his rhetoric (Burke, 1969). Mandelas use of personal pronouns and terms that embody collectivity construct unity, which is the overriding purpose of both his inaugural address, as well as his Presidency in general.Mandelas inaugural address also employs pathos, which is an appeal to the emotions of ones audience that serves as a persuasive power. Aristotle argued that a speaker must comprehend the emotions of ones audience in order to be persuasive (Borchers, 2006) that is, he must understand his audiences state of mind, against whom their emotions are directed, and for what sorts of reasons people musical note the way they do, in order to connect emotionally with them. Mandelas inauguration was an emotional mean solar day for the people of South Africa and the world, because it delineate a shift towards body politic, equality, and freedom for all people. One author notes that Mandelas first presidential address before the newly constituted South African Parliament lifted South Africa from the realm of imaginary democracy into a state of actual democratic employment and was a self-referential act of bringing oppose parties together.The inauguration speech was the first example of reconstruction and knowledge after apartheid in words and words alone Mandelas speech reconstituted the nation (Salazar, 2002). We can see Mandelas use of pathos throughout his inauguration speech. For example, he refers to the past as an extraordinary human disaster (3) he enlists his fellow South Africans to produce an actual South African domain that will reinforce populaces belief in justice, modify its confidence in the magnificenc e of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a divine life for all (4) he discusses the depth of the cark we all carried in our hearts as we saw our country gazump itself apart in a terrible conflict saw it spurned, outlawed and isolated by the peoples of the world (9) and he refers to his win as a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity (11) and his opponents as blood-thirsty forces which mum rule out to see the light (14).Mandela then makes an emotional pledge we pledge ourselves to disembarrass all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination we shall haoma a society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any(prenominal) fear in their hearts (16-18). He then dedicates this day to all the heroes and heroines who sacrificed and surrendered their lives so that we could be free (20). The rhetorical use of pathos is thick throughout Mandelas inaugural address. Mandelas appeals to unity also contribute to the pathos of the speech by inspiring the listeners to join together as one, rather than opposing entities. Mandela concludes with a promise never, never and never again shall it be that this bonny land will again experience the oppression and suffer the indignity of macrocosm the skunk of the world./ Let freedom reign (28-29). It is also important to note Mandelas use of what rhetorical scholars have called ideographs, which are defined as high-level abstractions that encapsulate or summarize the definitive principles or ideals of a political culture (Parry-Giles & Hogan, 2010).I would like to add that the use of ideographs employs Aristotles concept of pathos, as the words are often emotionally laden. Examples of ideographs used in Mandelas inaugural address include liberty (2) nobility (4) justice (4, 11, 26) peace (11, 26) human dignity (11, 18) freedom (17, 21, 29) and hope (1, 18). license is the most signific ant ideograph in the speech, as Mandela was a freedom-fighter and was freed from prison in 1990, which was a major step towards freedom for all South Africans. Ideographs, claim rhetorical scholars, have the potential to unify diverse audiences around vaguely shared sets of meaning (Parry-Giles & Hogan, 2010). Yet again we are presented with appeals to unity in Mandelas inaugural address. As discussed, Mandelas speech provides leaven that he understands his audiences state of mind (a mixture of touch and optimism), against whom their emotions are directed (Mandela himself, as well as the apartheid), and for what sorts of reasons people feel the way they do (change, fear, history, etc.).Thus, he was able to connect emotionally with his audience, which is Aristotles understanding of Pathos. I will continue my analysis of Mandelas speech with consideration of appeals he makes to place and race. Killingsworth points out that appeals to race often work together with appeals to place (2005). In Mandelas inauguration speech he says Each one of us is as nearly attached to the estate of this beautiful country as are the famed jacaranda trees of capital of South Africa and the mimosa trees of the bushveld. /Each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal. The national way changes as the seasons change. /We are moved by a sense of enjoyment and exhilaration when sight turns green and the flowers bloom. /That spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland . (6-9). This claim on the land can be archetype of as an identification of race with place, or in terms of Kenneth Burkes dramatism, a ratio between agent and jibe, who and where (Killingsworth, 2005). When white settlers arrived in South Africa in the 1600s, they began displacing indigenous black inhabitants from their homeland, pushing them onto less desirable terrain where water was comparatively scarce, grazing poor and agricultural condition s harsh (Horrell, 1973).Apartheid make the separation of blacks with their homeland even more acute with the implementation of designated separate areas, in which blacks were relocated to slums and townships, separate from whites. Hook, in Killingsworth, claims that collective black self-recovery can only take place when we begin to renew our relationship to the earth, when we mean the way of our ancestors (2005). Mandelas appeals to race and place in his inaugural address advocate collective self-recovery, and, as a byproduct, unity. Burke notes that rhetors who feature the scene see the world as relatively permanent and rhetors who features the agent see people as rational and capable of making choices (Borchers, 153). By featuring both scene and agent, it is evident that Mandela sees the physical geography of South Africa as unchanging, and also sees that the people who inhabit South Africa have the power to choose to unite on that shared territory. genius is the underlying th eme of Mandelas inaugural address as well as his presidency the unity of white and black people the dissolution of apartheid and its associated segregation the reunification of native South Africans with their homeland and the unification of South Africa with the rest of the free democratic world. When Mandela took up the reins of power in 1994, the world was holding its breath, expecting the racial tensions splitting the country to explode into a blood bath. Instead, the world witnessed a miracle. Mandelas achievement is colossal (Davis, 1997). Mandelas inaugural address served as an instrument of reunification and produced an atmosphere of stability from which the new system of government could go forward. top executiveYour Majesties, Your Highnesses, Distinguished Guests, Comrades and FriendsToday, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other parts of our country and the world, confer glory and hope to young liberty. Out of the experience of an extraordin ary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud. Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanitys belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all. All this we owe both to ourselves and to the peoples of the world who are so well represented here today. To my compatriots, I have no indisposition in saying that each one of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bushveld. Each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal.The national mood changes as the seasons change. We are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom. That spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland explain s the depth of the pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict, and as we saw it spurned, outlawed and isolated by the peoples of the world, precisely because it has become the universal base of the pernicious ideology and practice of racism and racial oppression. We, the people of South Africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil. We thank all our distinguished international guests for having come to take possession with the people of our country of what is, after all, a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity.We trust that you will continue to stand by us as we tackle the challenges of realiseing peace, prosperity, non-sexism, non-racialism and democracy. We deeply appreciate the role that the masses of our people and their political mass democrati c, religious, women, youth, business, traditional and other leadership have played to bring about this conclusion. Not least among them is my act Deputy President, the Honorable F.W. de Klerk. We would also like to pay tribute to our earnest forces, in all their ranks, for the distinguished role they have played in securing our first democratic elections and the transition democracy, from blood-thirsty forces which still refuse to see the light. The time for the healing of the wounds has The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has The time to build is upon us.We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination. We succeeded to take our last steps to freedom in conditions of relative peace. We commit ourselves to the construction of a complete, just and pertinacious peace. We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the br easts of the millions of our people. We come into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignitya rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.As a keepsake of its commitment to the renewal of our country, the new Interim Government of National Unity will, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of amnesty for sundry(a) categories of our people who are currently serving terms of imprisonment. We dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many an(prenominal) ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free. Their dreams have become reality. Freedom is their reward.We are both humbled and elevated by the honor and privilege that you, the people of South Africa, have bestowed on us, as the first President of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa, to lead our country out of the valley of darkness. We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. We know it well that no(prenominal) of us acting alone can achieve success. We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world. Let there be justice for all.Let there be peace for all.Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freedto fulfill themselves. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.Let freedom reign.The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement God bless AfricaThank you.Works CitedBorchers, T. (2006). rhetorical theory An introduction. Waveland invite Inc. Illinois Burke, K. 1969. A Rhetoric of Motives. Berkeley University of Califo rnia Press. Burke, K. (1966). Language as symbo1ic action Essays on life, literature, and method. Berkeley University of California Press. Campbell, K.K. & Jamieson, K.H. (1990). Deeds done in words Presidential rhetoric and the genres of governance. The University of Chicago Press Chicago. Corbett, E.P.J. & Connors, R.J. (1999) Classical rhetoric for the new-fashioned student. Oxford University Press New York. Davis, G. (1997, July 18). No ordinary magic. Electronic Mail & shielder On-line. 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Retrieved from http//www.southafrica.info/about/democracy/polparties.htm Tarvin, D. (2008). Vincent Foxs inaugural address A comparative analysis between the generic characteristics of the United States and Mexico. Retrieved from http//lsu.academia.edu/DavidTarvin/Papers/687161/Vicente_Foxs_Inaugural_Address_A_Comparative_Analysis_Between_the_Generic_Characteristics_of_the_United_States_and_Mexico Tuman, J.S. (2010). communicating terror The rhetorical dimensions of terrorism. San Francisco S age Publications. Wolfarth, D.L. (April 1961). John F. Kennedy in the tradition of inaugural speeches. Quarterly journal of speech, Vol. 47-2. Additional Works ReferencedFoss, S.K. (2004). Rhetorical lit crit Exploration & practice. Illinois Waveland Press, Inc. Hart, R.P. & Daughton, S. (2005). Modern rhetorical criticism Third edition. USA Pearson Education, Inc. Kuypers, J.A. (2005). The art of rhetorical criticism. USA Pearson Education Inc. Lacy, M.G. & Ono, K.A. (2011). Critical rhetorics of race. New York New York University Press