Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches
A Cognitive Approach
Alexander Mller Matrikel No.: 3265725 Course of Studies: Lehramt Gymnasium Mathematik / Englisch e-mail: alexander.mueller8@mailbox.tu-dresden.de Prof. Dr. Ursula Schaefer Seminar Cognitive Linguistics Wintersemester 2008/09 May 25, 2010
Table of Content
1. Introduction....................................................................................................1 2. Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches.................................2 2.1 Metonymy.................................................................................................2 2.1.1 heoretica! Background.....................................................................2 2.1.2 Ana!ysis o" Obama's Speeches...........................................................2 2.2 Metaphor..................................................................................................# 2.2.1 heoretica! Background.....................................................................# 2.2.2 Conceptua! metaphors$ e%amp!e !i"e&history is a 'ourney..................( 2.2.) Conceptua! metaphors "or other image schemas..............................* 2.2.# +ove! metaphors................................................................................, ). Conc!usion....................................................................................................1( #. Appendi%......................................................................................................1* #.1 -emocratic +ationa! Convention .eynote Address /200#1.....................1* #.2 2!ection +ight Speech in Chicago /20031................................................21 #.) Inaugura! Address Speech /200,1...........................................................2* (. Bib!iography.................................................................................................)1 *. -ec!aration...................................................................................................)2
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010
1. Introduction
6o!itica! speeches are a common e%perience5 but most o" us have a t7o8minded opinion about these speeches$ he ma'ority is du!!5 unimaginative and makes promises 7hich cannot be kept. But a minority o" speeches seems to have that certain something 7hich distinguishes them "rom a!! the others5 7hich 9take you on a 'ourney: and 9!eave their mark: in our minds. ;hat is it that makes them so specia!< My hypothesis is that the usage o" metonymy and metaphor p!ays a key ro!e in making a !asting impression. he goa! o" this paper is to e%amine the strategies o" metaphor and metonymy "rom a cognitive point o" vie7. I 7i!! "ocus on the "o!!o7ing =uestions$ ;hy do 7e understand metaphor and met8 onymy instant!y< ;hy are some possib!e5 some not< >o7 e%act!y do they convey meaning< And can 7e communicate 7ithout them< ?irst I 7i!! give a theoretica! overvie7 "or each o" the "igures o" speech and then check i" my "indings ho!d true "or rea!87or!d conte%ts. ?or this purpose I chose to ana!yse three o" Barack Obama@s speeches5 name!y his Inaugura! Address /200,15 his 2!ection +ight Aictory Speech /20031 and his .eynote address at the -emo8 cratic +ationa! Convention /200#1.
2. Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches
2.1 Metonymy
2.1.1 Theoretical Background I" 7e go by the de"inition o" ay!or /200)$ 12(15 metonymy is a "igure o" speech 7hereby the name o" one entity e1 is used to re"er to another entity5 e25 7hich is contiguous to5 or 7hich is associated 7ith e1 . number o" "orms$ he connection bet7een the t7o entities is achieved by 7hat he ca!!s a referring function5 7hich can have a he name o" the container can be used "or its content5 the name o" a producer can re"er to his products5 the name o" a token can re"er to the type5 a sa!ient part can be used to re"er to the 7ho!e /synecdoche1. In cases o" uncertainty5 there is a simp!e test to determine 7hether a partic8 u!ar "igure is a metonymy or a metaphor$ ?or e%amp!e in 97e have tasted the bitter s7i!! o" civi! 7ar:/p.235 !.,3115 one cou!d say that 7ar is like a bitter s7i!!5 7hereas in 9a charter e%panded by the b!ood o" generations:/p.23 !.B315 the b!ood c!ear!y stands "or 7ar5 but 7ar is not like b!ood5 rather it is associated 7ith b!ood. here"ore the "ormer is a case o" metaphor and the !atter a case o" metonymy. 2.1.2 Analysis of Obama's Speeches Cet us !ook into some e%amp!es o" metonymy no7. ?irst5 7e 7i!! consider 9a!! o" us p!edging a!!egiance to the stars and stripes:/p.1,5 !.2B1. Stars and stripes is a name "or the American "!ag because the (0 stars and thirteen stripes are 7hat distinguishes it "rom other "!ags. It is a re"erence to the 6!edge o" A!!egi8 ance5 7hich is an oath o" !oya!ty to the Dnited States o" America that is "re8 =uent!y recited5 e.g. in openings o" the DS Congress5 and is there"ore 7e!!8
1 A!! =uotations are "rom speeches o" Barack >ussein Obama5 name!y his Inaugura! Address /200,15 his 2!ection +ight Aictory Speech /20031 or his .eynote address at the -emocratic +ationa! Convention /200#1 7hich can be "ound in the appendi%5 page and !ine numbers are stated "or easy re"erence.
2
kno7n to the pub!ic. It reads as "o!!o7s$ EI p!edge a!!egiance to the "!ag o" the Dnited States o" America5 and to the Fepub!ic "or 7hich it stands$ one +ation under God5 indivisib!e5 7ith Ciberty and Hustice "or a!!.E ?rancis Be!!amy5 7ho 7rote the origina! p!edge in August 13,25 commented on the re"erence to the "!ag$ 9 he true reason "or a!!egiance to the ?!ag is the Irepub!ic "or 7hich it stands.@ JKL And 7hat does that vast thing5 the Fepub!ic mean< It is the concise po!itica! 7ord "or the +ation: /Baer 1,,21. he re"erring "unction here is that a nationa! symbo! /or its name1 can re"er to the nation and its connotations such as shared va!ues5 ideo!ogy5 stereotypes and the !ike. My second e%amp!e is 97e cannot have a thriving ;a!! Street 7hi!e Main Street su""ers:/p.2)5 !.321. >ere5 the understanding that I;a!! Street@ is meant to re"er to the I"inancia! market@ re=uires speci"ic kno7!edge$ ?irst5 it is the "act that the most important stock e%change in the DSA5 New York Stock Exchange5 is !ocated in +e7 Mork City on ;a!! Street5 a bit o" kno7!edge 7hich is avai!ab!e to everyone 7ho has 7atched American ne7s. Second5 it is vita! to kno7 that stock markets are part o" "inancia! markets and are c!ose!y interre!ated. It is ho7ever not necessary to kno7 e%act!y ho7 stock markets 7ork or ho7 this in"!uences "inancia! markets N being ab!e to set up the menta! !inks is enough. +o75 the second metonymy bui!ds on the "irst one in having a para!!e! re"erring "unction$ Again5 the name o" a street re"ers to an institution in that street5 on!y this time it is "ar more genera!. A prere=uisite "or correct!y interpreting the met8 onymy is a7areness o" the "act that in many to7ns5 shopping areas are !ocated on Main Street5 or that i" there is a Main Street in a city5 you are very !ike!y to "ind department stores and a!! kinds o" other businesses there. >o7ever5 7ith the 'u%taposition o" ;a!! Street and Main Street it becomes c!ear that Main Street does not re"er to banks5 !eaving on!y businesses o" production and ser8 vice$ he so8ca!!ed Irea! economy@. ;hen mentioning governmenta! institutions5 metonymy is o"ten used$ 9they don't 7ant their ta% money 7asted5 by a 7e!"are agency or by the 6entagon:/p.1B5 !.(315 97ho "irst carried the banner o" the Fepub!ican 6arty to the ;hite >ouse:/p.2)5 !.3(1 and 9our campaign 7as not hatched in the ha!!s o"
;ashington:/p.225 !.##1 member.
he names o" the bui!dings accommodating ma'or
institutions o"ten re"!ect their architecture5 they are 7e!!8kno7n and easy8to8re8 here"ore names o" bui!dings serve as a per"ect starting point "or a metonymica! re"erring "unction. Simi!ar!y5 the main governmenta! apparatus is usua!!y !ocated in the capita! o" the country5 making it possib!e to comprehend 9the ha!!s o" ;ashington: in an instant. Metonymy is a!so "re=uent!y used to re"er to geographica! areas5 "or e%amp!e$ 9sett!ed the ;est:/p.2B5 !.)31 or 9a co!!ection o" red states and b!ue states:/p.215 !.1015 7here the uno""icia! co!ours o" the Fepub!ican /red1 and the -emocratic 6arty /b!ue1 is app!ied to states that traditiona!!y have more sup8 porters "or the respective parties. One can see that5 given the kno7!edge o" the co!our code5 the concept is readi!y understandab!e5 7hereas e%p!aining the concept in depth takes a signi"icant e""ort. his is true "or the ne%t e%amp!e as 7e!!$ Mr Obama re"ers to the states 7ith a car industry as 9the co!!ar counties around Chicago:/p.1B5 !.(31. Instances o" metonymy in the domain o" time inc!ude 97hi!e 7e breathe5 7e hope:/p.2(5 !.1#115 7here breathing stands as a symbo! "or !ivingO 9 onight is a particu!ar honor "or me:/p.1*5 !.B15 7here the night stands as a representation "or the event o" the speechO 97hat 7e can and must achieve tomorro7:/p.2#5 !.10#1 meaning not on!y the "o!!o7ing day but "uture in genera!. My !ast e%amp!e is a 7ho!e series o" metonymies$ 9;e 7orship an a7esome God in the B!ue States5 and 7e don't !ike "edera! agents poking around in our !ibraries in the Fed States. ;e coach Citt!e Ceague in the B!ue States5 and5 yes5 7e've got some gay "riends in the Fed States.:/p.1,5 !.2)1 >ere 7e can see the true po7er o" this "igure o" speech$ Giving concrete e%amp!es is 7ay more e""ective than 'ust c!aiming that di""erences bet7een supporters o" the -emo8 crats and the Fepub!icans are not that big.
As 7e can see5 the essence o" metonymy seems to reside in the 9possibi!ity o" estab!ishing connections bet7een entities 7hich co8occur 7ithin a given con8 ceptua! "rame: / ay!or 200#$ 12(1 and they he!p us to name comp!e% con8 structs 7here it 7ou!d be too cumbersome /or even impossib!e1
to e%press
#
7hat you rea!!y mean.
2.2 Metaphor
2.2.1 Theoretical Background ;hen a !ayperson thinks o" metaphor5 poetic metaphors in the manner o" 9you are my rose: immediate!y come to mind. >o7ever5 "rom a cognitive !inguistic point o" vie75 metaphor is much more than that5 as I 7i!! try to make c!ear in the "o!!o7ing chapter. he term itse!" derives "rom Catin metaphora, 7hich in turn comes "rom Greek PQRSTUVW5 meaning Etrans"erenceE /Cidde!! X Scott5 A Greek-English Lexicon1. Metaphor is5 according to American cognitive !inguist George Cako"" /200*$ 2)215 a mapping across domains5 "rom a source domain 7hich is usua!!y very concrete5 to a target domain5 usua!!y more abstract. here is no direct !ink bet7een these domains5 no contiguity as 7e have "ound in metonymy. Instead5 metaphor is based on perceived simi!arity bet7een the source and the target. Its motivation is the desire o" human beings to e%press abstract ideas and intangib!e areas o" e%perience in an easi!y comprehensib!e manner. Metaphor accomp!ishes this through usage o" the "ami!iar and concrete / ay!or 200*1. he mapping shou!d not to be seen as an a!gorithmic process5 but rather as a "i%ed set o" onto!ogica! correspondences bet7een entities in a source domain and entities in a target domain /Cako"" 200*$ 1,#5 2))1 2. Moreover5 the map8 ping is a comp!ete!y unconscious process /Cako"" 200*$ 2)215 it is asymmetric and partia! in the sense that the mapping cannot be reversed in most cases5 and metaphors do not !ink every item "rom the source to items in the target domain /Cako"" 200*$ 2)21. hese mappings happen on a superordinate !eve! /Cako"" 200*$ 1,(1 and obey 7hat Cako"" ca!!s the in ariance principle$ 9Meta8 phorica! mappings preserve the cognitive topo!ogy /i.e. the image8scheme structure1 o" the source domain5 in a 7ay consistent 7ith the inherent structure o" the target domain.9 /200*$ 1,,1
2 Many o" the "o!!o7ing theoretica! remarks 7i!! become c!earer 7hen 7e turn to concrete e%amp!es in the "o!!o7ing sections.
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 (
Be"ore 7e turn to gather evidence "or po!ysemy and in"erence patterns "rom three o" Barack Obama@s speeches5 I 7ant to "ocus on reasons to use metaphor in a po!itica! speech. On the one hand visionary po!itica! speeches usua!!y dea! 7ith high!y abstract concepts !ike society5 po!itica! and economic systems5 mora! va!ues and many other. On the other hand5 in order to be success"u! such speeches must be vivid5 interesting5 touching and easi!y comprehensib!e to the audience5 no matter 7hat educationa! background one has. ;hat appears to be a contradiction can easi!y be so!ved by the use o" metaphor. ?urthermore5 po!itica! speeches are o"ten used to persuade rather than 'ust report5 7hich means that usua!!y a !arge part o" it "ocuses on the "uture. But predictions that are "ound to be 7rong !ater on are dangerous to the reputation o" the speaker5 there"ore po!iticians tend to omit concrete statements and rather use "igures o" speech that need to be interpreted. he because interpret8 ation is out o" the speakers@ in"!uence5 so that they cannot be he!d accountab!e "or it. 2.2.2 Conceptual metaphors: example life/history is a journey Cako"" and Hohnson introduced the term Iconceptua! metaphor@ to re"er to meta8 phors 7here both source and target domain are ideas or conceptua! domains. In Obama's speeches5 a conceptua!iYation Ci"e & >istory is a Hourney is very "re8 =uent. Since these are visionary po!itica! speeches5 he tries to b!ur the !ine bet7een individua! !ives on the one side and the common history5 present and "uture o" the peop!e on the other side. he history o" the DS is very o"ten described as 9the path:/p.2*5 !.)1 X p.2B5 !.)#1 or 9our 'ourney:/p.2*5 !.)0O p.2B5 !.##O p.)05 !.1(115 but Obama a!so uses this metaphor "or his o7n campaign$ 9I 7ant to thank my partner in this 'ourney:/p.215 !.2#1. Obama a!so ta!ks about goa!s 7hich are conceptua!iYed as destinations5 "or e%amp!e in 9route to our common good:/p.235 !.B(15 or in 9to pursue our individua! dreams:/p.1,5 !.11215 7here Idreams@ seem to be concep8 tua!iYed not as "i%ed destinations but as moving ob'ects that can be chased a"ter. he conditions o" !i"e are e%pressed as the characteristics o" a path$ American citiYens are said to 9have carried us up the !ong5 rugged path to7ards prosperity and "reedom:/p.2B5 !.)#1. Another e%amp!e is 9 he road
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 *
ahead 7i!! be !ong. Our c!imb 7i!! be steep:/p.2)5 !.**1.
here may be impedi8
ments on the path representing !i"e&history5 as in 9your name is no barrier to success:/p.1*5 !.211. In"ormation about the mode o" trave! have their o7n imp!ications$ 9My chie" strategist -avid A%e!rod K7ho's been a partner 7ith me e ery step of the way: imp!ies not on!y that A%e!rod accompanied Obama a!! the time /or at !east in vita! moments "or the campaign15 but a!so that Mr Obama sees his campaign as a se=uence o" sma!! goa!s. ;e can a!so imagine other individua!s trave!!ing a!ongside onese!" and sho7ing the 7ay. hus5 9acting according to certain princip!es: can be coded as being 9guided by these princip!es:/p.235 !.,B1. ?urthermore5 in the !ogic o" the metaphor Ci"e & >istory Is a Hourney it is on!y natura! to conceptua!iYe time as distance$ 9ho7 far 7e have tra eled:/p.)05 !.1#01. Fetrospection5 as in the !ast e%amp!e5 can be e%pressed 'ust as 7e!! as !ooking to7ards the "uture$ 9 his is the 'ourney 7e continue today:/p.2B5 !.##1. Sometimes you on!y have a !imited idea about the "uture5 7hich can become c!earer in a po!itica! speech by making the "uture vis8 ib!e$ 9 he road that un"o!ds be"ore us:/p.2,5 !.11)1. In this metaphor5 a!! Amer8 icans are trave!!ing together N apart "rom those dead5 7hich can a!so be described in terms o" the metaphor$ a!king about his dead parents5 Barack Obama stated that 9they are both passed a7ay no7:/p.1*5 !.2#1 )5 imp!icating that they are out o" sight5 but may sti!! be trave!!ing e!se7here. 6o!itics is about shaping the "uture5 and in terms o" our conceptua! metaphor this means to shape the !andscape 7hich is ahead5 a!!o7ing Mr Obama to promise to 9provide 7orking "ami!ies 7ith a road to opportunity:/p.205 !.1#01. ?ina!!y5 the Ci"e & >istory is a Hourney metaphor a!!o7s "or easi!y understand8 ab!e5 high!y "igurative utterances !ike 9Cet it be said by our chi!dren's chi!dren that 7hen 7e 7ere tested 7e re"used to let this !ourney end5 that 7e did not turn "ack nor did 7e "a!terO and 7ith eyes fixed on the hori#on and God's grace upon us JKL:/p.)05 !.1(11 Mr Obama "ocuses heavi!y on determination and dir8 ectiona!ity o" DS po!itica! action here. >is utterance can on!y be comprehended via metaphor5 because in rea! !i"e it is actua!!y not possib!e to 9turn back or "a!ter: since time cannot be stopped and !i"e 7i!! continue nonethe!ess.
) his metaphor has become a common euphemism since the 1)th century /Merriam8;ebster On!ine -ictionary1.
B
2.2.3 Conceptual metaphors for other image schemas Cako"" /1,3B$ 2B1""1 and Hohnson /1,3B1 suggest that many areas o" e%perience are structured metaphorica!!y by the means o" image schemas. he Hourney image schema has 'ust been discussed in the previous section5 but there are more. here is5 "or e%amp!e5 the proximity and distance image schema5 7here spatia! re!ations become pro'ected onto non8spatia! domains5 as in 9a!ongside our "amous individua!ism5 there's JKL:/p.1,5 !.10#1 or 97e p!edge to 7ork a!ongside you Jother countriesL:/p.235 !.1031. Moreover5 there is the image schema o" linkage and separation5 e%amp!es o" 7hich are 9 hough passion may have strained5 it must not break our bonds o" a""ection.:/p.2)5 !.,21 and 9there are those 7ho are preparing to divide us:/p.1,5 !.11(1. -uring my ana!ysis I came across a group o" e%amp!es that I cou!d not a!!ocate to one o" the image schemas as suggested by Cako"" and Hohnson5 there"ore I propose the ne7 schema alteration of physical state$ It re"ers to abstract ideas that are conceptua!iYed as physica! ob'ects 7hose state and appearance can be changed by app!ication o" "orce or use o" too!s. I created this category main!y to dea! 7ith the concept o" sharing5 7here both the sharing o" positive and negative concepts imp!ies improvement "or a!!$ 9va!ues that 7e a!! share:/p.2)5 !.3315 9destiny is shared:/p.2)5 !.,B15 9My parents shared not on!y an improbab!e !oveO they shared an abiding "aith in the possib8 i!ities o" this nation:/p.1*5 !.1,1. But the "o!!o7ing e%amp!es a!so demand to be categoriYed as a!teration o" physica! state$ 9 o shape an uncertain destiny:/p.)05 !.1)#15 9;e are shaped by every !anguage and cu!ture:/p.235 !.,B1 or 9mark this day 7ith remembrance:/p.)05 !.1#01 and 9our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken:/p.235 !.,#1. he up-down5 front-"ack and part-whole image schemas 7i!! be discussed in greater detai! be!o7. 2.2.3.1 The up-down image schema he image schema o" up8do7n orientation dea!s 7ith spatia! orientation 7ithin a gravitationa! "ie!d and has a 7ide range o" app!ications5 some o" 7hich sha!! no7 be e%amined in "urther detai!. In the e%amp!e 9raise hea!th care's =ua!ity and !o7er its cost:/p.2B5 !.(#15
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 3
the "irst part uses the metaphor GOO-
IS
D65 BAIS
IS
-O;+ in the =ua!ity domain

IS
and the !atter uses the metaphor MOF2
D65 C2SS
-O;+ "rom the domain o"
=uantity. +ote that the t7o are re!ated through metonymy$ I" you stay in the domain o" =uantity5 you cou!d say that /the amount o"1 =ua!ity is increased N no7 MOF2
IS
D65 C2SS
IS
-O;+ can be app!ied to =ua!ity as 7e!!. Moreover5 there

IS IS
are e%amp!es in the domains o" contro! /6O;2F o""ice:/p.2*5 !.315 in activity /MOA2M2+
IS
D65 6O;2FC2SS+2SS D65 F2AC
IS
-O;+1$ 9high -O;+1$ 9they
D65 F2S
-O;+1$ 9the peop!e 7i!! rise up

DFAC IS IS
in +ovember:/p.205 !.#31 and in spiritua!ity /SD62F+A
Jhis dead parentsL !ook do7n on me:/p.1*5 !.2#15 7hereas I have to admit that this cou!d a!so be e%p!ained by an image metaphor /see be!o71 "rom Chris8 tianity5 7here the deceased go to heaven 7hich is be!ieved to be !ocated in the Iskies above@. More e%amp!es can be "ound in the domain o" severity /SD62F?ICIAC
IS
D65 6FO?OD+A+ IS
IS
-O;+1$ 9my deepest gratitude:/p.1*5 !.)15 in importance

A+ IS
/IM6OF
D65 D+IM6OF
IS
-O;+1$ 9But above a!!5 JKL:/p.225 !.#115 and in eva!u8
ation /GOO-
D65 BA-
IS
-O;+1$ 97e raise their e%pectations:/p.1B5 !.(,15 9genera8 hese !ast e%amp!es are high!y abstract and
tion must !o7er its sights:/p.2*5 !.1,15 9America's dec!ine:/p.2*5 !.1315 97e rise or "a!! as one nation:/p.2)5 !.3)1. their e%act meanings are hard to grasp. hey are a hypothetica! assessment o" a "uture situation5 probab!y measured against an ama!gam o" the current eco8 nomic5 po!itica! and mora! state N on!y that measuring5 or at !east determining i" the trend goes Iup@ or Ido7n@ can on!y be based on sets o" "igures too !imited "or an ob'ective vie75 so that the use o" these high!y ambiguous phrases is bound to be sub'ective. he "re=uent use o" image schemas and their simi!ar imp!ementations in di"8 "erent !anguages !ed cognitive !inguists to be!ieve that these schemas must have a basis 7hich is common to a!! human beings5 that the schemas must be rooted in immediate everyday e%periences. It is indeed a common e%perience o" the human body that MOA2M2+
IS
D65 F2S
IS
-O;+$ Hust try and s!eep 7hi!e
standing upright5 you 7i!! "a!! do7n to the ground eventua!!y. he same is true "or motion$ ;hen you 7ant to cover a !onger distance5 the position o" choice 7i!! be upright5 not recumbent. Since the abi!ity to move is c!ose!y tied to the abi!ity o" se!"8de"ence5 6O;2F
IS
D65 6O;2FC2SS+2SS
IS
-O;+ is a!so covered.
hen5
the combination o" the !atter t7o resu!ts in GOO-
IS
D65 BA-
IS
-O;+$ Being ab!e to
move and de"end yourse!" means that your body is in a good condition5 7hereas !ying on the "!oor means you are tired5 sick or even dead. I do not 7ant to give an e%tensive !ist "or each schema here5 everyday e%perientia! basis can be "ound "or every image schema in a simi!ar "ashion. +ote that in these e%p!anation attempts5 the association is one o" metonymy N 9On!y 7hen the re!ationship is genera!iYed beyond this stereotypica! situation one can speak o" metaphor:/Cako"" 200*$ 1)31. I think 7ith these e%amp!es as a basis5 Hohnson /1,3B1 and Cako""'s /1,3B1 c!aim that image schemas are universa! pre8!inguistic cognitive structures seems va!id. 2.2.3.2 The front-back image schema in the domain of time
o give another e%amp!e "or basic e%periences 7e 7i!! no7 turn to the "act that the human body has t7o sides$ A "ront side5 7here ma'or sensory organs5 espe8 cia!!y the eyes are !ocated and in the direction o" 7hich a human usua!!y moves5 and a back side5 7hich is more robust but 7here one is a!so more vu!8 nerab!e because o" !ack o" vision. he most prominent app!ication o" the "ront8 back image schema is orientation in time5 7here in combination 7ith the C I+2AF SCAC2S
AF2
6A
>S
metaphor 7e get ?D
DF2 IS I+
?FO+ 5 >IS
OFM IS
BAC..
ime is conceptua!iYed in terms o" movement through space5 a!!o7ing us to use spatia! e%pressions "or discussing matters o" time. his is c!ose!y re!ated to the a"orementioned conceptua! metaphor CI?2&>IS genera! as 7e sha!! see short!y. di""erent 7ays$
OFM IS A
HODF+2M5 but it is more
he conceptua!isation o" time as movement is
centra! to our thinking5 but surprising!y it is understood in t7o "undamenta!!y
2.2.).2.1
IM2 6ASSI+G IS MO IO+ OA2F A CA+-SCA62
;hen time passes5 the speaker is continuous!y moving /7ith his "ront side1 "or8 7ard a!ong a one8dimensiona! path. Our current !ocation on the path represents
# I persona!!y "ind Cako""'s term IM2 6ASSI+G IS MO IO+ OA2F A CA+-SCA62 a bit mis!eading5 because a !andscape is hard!y ever one8dimensiona! N but as there is nothing one8dimensiona! in our everyday e%periences I 7i!! keep to his term.
the present5 "uture is in "ront o" us and past !ies behind. 2vents are ob'ects that !ie "i%ed on this path /Cako"" 200*$ 2011. 2%amp!es that make re"erence to the "uture inc!ude$ 9;e intend to move "or8 7ard Jpursue po!iciesL:/p.235 !.*B15 97e seek a ne7 7ay "or7ard:/p.2,5 !.10)15 9the task be"ore us:/p.2*5 !.215 9in the months ahead:/p.215 !.2)15 9there are better days ahead:/p.205 !.1#115 and 9the task that !ies ahead:/p.225 !.(*1. ;hen Mr Obama regards the past he a!so uses the "ront8back image schema$ 9return to these truths:/p.2,5 !.12315 9resist the temptation to "a!! back:/p.2)5 !.3)15 9i" 7e go back to the 7ay things 7ere:/p.2)5 !.BB15 9a 7hi!e back5 I metK:/p.135 !.3(1 and 9A"ter the 7ar:/p.1*5 !.1B1. Additiona!!y5 it is used "or periods o" time$ 9through t7o decades in the Dnited States Senate:/p.135 !.B11.
2.2.).2.2
IM2 6ASSI+G IS MO IO+ O? A+ OBH2C
In the second approach5 the speaker is "i%ed and the ob'ects /events1 move to7ards him i" they are in the "uture and move a7ay i" they !ie in the past5 ori8 ented 7ith their "ront in the direction o" trave!. too. /Cako"" 200*$ 2011 ?irst!y5 evidence "or this conceptua!iYation can be "ound in the "re=uent use o" I"ace@ "or "uture events$ 9the cha!!enges that "ace us:/p.205 !.1#*15 9about the cha!!enges 7e "ace:/p.2)5 !.B115 9!et's "ace it:/p.1*5 !.B15 and 9>ope in the "ace o" di""icu!tyZ >ope in the "ace o" uncertaintyZ:/p.205 !.1),1 Second!y5 in the e%amp!es !ike 9o!d hatreds sha!! someday pass:/p.2,5 !.1001 or 9that time has sure!y passed:/p.2B5 !.#315 9the time has come:/p.2*5 !.2( X 2*1 and 9he JKL 7as heading to Ira= the "o!!o7ing 7eek:/p.135 !.3B15 7here in the !ast e%amp!e5 I7eek@ is persona!iYed and seems to move a"ter its predecessor. In another e%amp!e5 a day is persona!iYed and ab!e to carry other abstract Iob'ects@ 7ith it$ 9 he cha!!enges that tomorro7 7i!! bring:/p.225 !.(B1. As 7e have seen in a number o" e%amp!es5 spatia! notions are used time and again to he!p i!!ustrate and understand intangib!e5 abstract notions. his inspired Cako"" to say$ 9It is most interesting that this system o" metaphor
he ob'ects 'ust passing him
represent the present5 and their movement is continuous and one8dimensiona!5
seems to give rise to abstract reasoning5 7hich appears to be based on spatia! reasoning.: /Cako"" 200*$ 21)1 his means that there is nothing magica! about abstract reasoning5 because it is 'ust a specia! case o" image8based reasoning5 and the true po7er o" our brains !ies in the processes o" metaphorica! map8 pings. his means that teachers and scho!ars shou!d conscious!y use meta8 phors and spacia! reasoning as part o" their methodo!ogy. 2.2.4 Novel metaphors According to Cako"" and urner /1,3,15 there are three types o" nove! meta8 phors$ 1. Image metaphors 2. Generic8!eve! metaphors ). 2%tension o" a conceptua! metaphor ;e 7i!! e%amine the "irst t7o in more detai! be!o75 but un"ortunate!y I cou!d not "ind an e%amp!e "or the third type in Obama's speeches and 7i!! there"ore not cover it. As one cou!d e%pect5 nove! metaphors are more "re=uent in !iterary 7orks as poetry and prose5 7here a!! three types are superimposed on one another /Cako"" 200*$ 21B1. 2.2.4.1 Image metaphors Conceptua! metaphors5 as 7e have a!ready seen5 map conceptua! domains onto another5 o"ten containing a !arge number o" metaphorica! entai!ments. Image metaphors5 by contrast5 on!y pro'ect a sing!e5 conventiona! menta! image onto another5 producing 7hat Cako"" ca!!s a 9one8shot metaphor: /Cako"" 200*$ 21(1. Image metaphors are used to i!!ustrate /in the "u!! sense o" the 7ord1 a piece o" te%t5 or to point out a speci"ic aspect o" 7hat has 'ust been said in a manner easi!y comprehensib!e to everybody. he po7er and persuas8 iveness o" image metaphors is the reason 7hy they are used "re=uent!y in po!it8 ica! speeches5 and those o" Mr Obama "orm no e%ception. Barack Obama uses metaphors "rom a!! kinds o" donor domains5 as "or e%amp!e "arming$ 9!eaders 7ho JKL so7 con"!ict:/p.2,5 !.10#15 medica! terms$ 9to hea! the divides that have he!d back our progress:/p.2)5 !.3,15 crime ter8
12
mino!ogy$ 9so 7e aren't he!d hostage to the pro"its o" oi! companies:/p.135 !.B,1 and 9every chi!d in America has a decent shot at !i"e:/p.135 !.*(15 "inancia! terms$ 9I o7e a debt to a!! o" those 7ho came be"ore me:/p.1B5 !.)01 and 9earn the respect o" the 7or!d:/p.1,5 !.,,1 or the domain o" sports$ 9 here 7i!! be JKL "a!se starts:/p.2)5 !.*,1. A specia! case o" the !atter cou!d be 97rong side o" history:/p.2,5 !.10B15 7here an image o" a team sport /such as "ootba!!5 vo!!eyba!! or hockey1 is evoked5 7ith every nation assigned to a p!ayer in one o" the teams. I;rong@ cou!d then stand "or the team that !oses or "or the team that does not have the support o" the audience5 7here the audience cou!d stand "or the popu!ation o" the 7or!d. O" course5 in this oversimp!i"ied mode! o" 7or!d po!itics it is =uestion8 ab!e 7ho assigns nations to Iteams@5 7ho sets the ru!es o" the game and ho7 the 7inner is determined. ?urther e%amp!es can be "ound in the domain o" 7eather phenomena5 inc!uding their rea! !i"e concomitants$ 9A ne7 da7n o" American !eadership:/p.2)5 !.,B15 9I be!ieve that 7e have a righteous 7ind at our backs:/p.205 !.1##1 and 9 he 7ords have been spoken during rising tides o" prosperity and the sti!! 7aters o" peace. Met5 every so o"ten the oath is taken amidst gathering c!ouds and raging storms.:/p.2*5 !.(1 Obama makes use o" geo!ogica! terms to i!!ustrate his ideas$ 9the ground has shi"ted beneath them:/p.2B5 !.*215 9that JhopeL is JKL the bedrock o" this nation:/p.205 !.1#01 9the rock o" our "ami!y J[Miche!!e ObamaL:/p.215 !.231 but a!so terms "rom the domain o" construction 7ork$ 9a ne7 "oundation "or gro7th:/p.2B5 !.(115 9to those 7ho 7ou!d tear the 7or!d do7n:/p.2)5 !.,315 9to put their hands on the arc o" history and bend it once more to7ard the hope o" a better day:/p.215 !.1#15 9Our pride is based on a very simp!e premise:/p.1B5 !.))15 9and see ho7 7e are measuring up to the !egacy o" our "orebears and the promise o" "uture generations:/p.1B5 !.##15 9he 7i!! never JKL use "aith as a 7edge to divide us.:/p.135 !.321 he use o" the source domains o" geo!ogy and construction 7ork proves again that source domains are set in everyday e%peri8 ence5 that metaphors use common kno7!edge as a starting point. In the domain o" tra""ic5 Icrossroads@ can be used "or t7o di""erent meanings$
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 1)
?irst5 a p!ace 7here t7o or more roads cross each other and 7here it is possib!e to change the direction o" trave!5 imp!ying an increased amount o" tra""ic. Second5 a p!ace 7here a sing!e road sp!its up into t7o5 each !eading to a di"8 "erent destination. Conse=uent!y5 the t7o di""erent de"initions a!!o7 "or t7o di"8 "erent metaphors respective!y$ 9 he great state o" I!!inois5 crossroads o" a nation:/p.1*5 !.(1 and 9as 7e stand on the crossroads o" history:/p.205 !.1#(1. Cako"" and urner /1,3,1 suggest that a!! conventiona! menta! images are structured by the a"orementioned image schemas and that image metaphors preserve image8schematic structure. An e%amp!e "or the part87ho!e image schema 7ou!d be 9there's another ingredient in the American saga:/p.1,5 !.10*1. In the domain o" cookery5 the 7ho!e /a "ina! dish1 is made up o" parts /the ingredients1 N this is mapped on the parts that make up the 7ho!e o" the 9American saga:. he part87ho!e image schema a!so entai!s that 9separation or rearrangement o" the parts resu!ts in the destruction o" the 7ho!e: / ay!or 200)15 7hich is very true in the domain o" cooking$ the 9American saga: 'ust 7ou!d not be the same 7ithout that one ingredient5 and adding too much o" it cou!d a!so render it Iinedib!e@. Another e%amp!e o" preservation o" image schemas can be "ound "or the schema o" containment in the conceptua!iYation as a room or a house$ 9the doors o" opportunity remain open to a!!:/p.135 !.**15 9"rom every end o" this 2arth:/p.235 !.,31 or 9"orgotten corners o" the 7or!d:/p.2)5 !.,*1. Another range o" e%amp!es is p!aced in the domain o" the human body$ 9he JKL 7as heading to Ira=:/p.135 !.3B15 9American !eadership is at hand:/p.2)5 !.,B15 97e 7i!! e%tend a hand:/p.2,5 !.10B15 9Jdictators 7hoL c!ing to po7er:/p.2,5 !.10*15 9unc!ench your "ist:/p.2,5 !.10B15 9I hear your Jvoters o" McCainL voices:/p.2)5 !.,#15 9At a time 7hen 7omen's voices 7ere si!enced:/p.2#5 !.11*1 and5 c!ose!y re!ated to the human body5 in the domain o" sensation$ 9because 7e have tasted the bitter s7i!! o" civi! 7ar and segrega8 tion:/p.23 !.,31. A "urther "ie!d 7ith a high number o" appearances is the domain o" !ight and vision. Our eyes are our most important sensory organs because most o" our !i"e is organiYed around optic in"ormation. Cako"" /200*$ 22B1 points out "or the
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 1#
.+O;I+G
IS
S22I+G metaphor$ 9Most o" 7hat 7e kno7 comes through vision5 and in
the over7he!ming ma'ority o" cases5 i" 7e see something5 7e kno7 it is true.: More e%amp!es "rom the domain o" !ight an vision inc!ude$ 9that sees us through our darkest hours:/p.2,5 !.12)15 9do our business in the !ight o" day:/p.235 !.*B15 9 hose idea!s sti!! !ight the 7or!d:/p.235 !.B315 9emerged "rom that dark chapter:/p.2,5 !.,,15 9i" America's beacon sti!! burns as bright:/p.2#5 !.,,15 9America5 that shone as a beacon o" "reedom and opportunity to so many 7ho had come be"ore:/p.1*5 !.1215 97e have a so!emn ob!igation not to JKL shade the truth:/p.1,5 !.,*15 9ta!king about b!ind optimism:/p.205 !.1)215 9out o" this !ong po!itica! darkness5 a brighter day 7i!! come:/p.205 !.1(11. o sum up5 Obama used the "o!!o7ing source domains "or his image meta8 phors$ I"arming@5 Imedicine@5 I"inance@5 Isports@5 I7eather&nature@5 Igeo!ogy@5 Iconstruction@5 Itra""ic@5 Ihuman body@5 I!ight X vision@. ;e can see that some o" these donor domains are part o" the immediate e%perience o" our !i"e87or!d and the rest is at !east omnipresent in DS8American cu!ture. It is this pro%imity to our o7n e%perience that makes these metaphors so easi!y comprehensib!e and e""ective. 2.2.4.2 Personification
6ersoni"ication is5 according to Cako""& urner /1,3,15 a generic8!eve! metaphor. his is a term coined to denote mappings that preserve causa! structure5 the aspectua! structure5 and the persistence o" entities. In short5 it means that the source and the target must have the same overa!! event shape. that personi"ication or the metaphor OBH2C
S AF2
his imp!ies
62O6C2 can on!y be app!ied 7hen
the generic8!eve! structure o" the speci"ic ob'ect corresponds 7ith the one o" a human being N I 7i!! !ook into some o" these structures no7. 6eop!e come into e%istence by the action o" t7o other peop!e5 name!y their mother and their "ather5 and persist "or a re!ative!y !ong time. So i" Mr Obama is o" the opinion that Genera! ;ashington p!ayed a !arge ro!e in bringing the DSA into e%istence5 he can ca!! him the 9"ather o" our nation:/p.)05 !.1#)15 and re"ers to the event o" its "oundation as 9America's "irth:/p.)05 !.1#115 because the event structure o" the t7o concepts is simi!ar. CADSA
IO+ IS
urner /1,3B1 ca!!s this the
6FOG2+2FA
IO+
metaphor. An even more comp!e% e%amp!e is 9A

1(
common dream5 "orn o" t7o continents.:/p.1*5 !.2015 7here the agents o" caus8 ation are personi"ications themse!ves5 sho7ing us that metaphors can a!so be used recursive!y. A"ter birth5 humans gro7 o!der5 i.e. the time8span o" their e%istence increases5 7hich can be measured and compared to other human beings. At the generic !eve!5 this a!so ho!ds true "or nations5 !eading to metaphors !ike 9young nation:/p.2*5 !.2(1. Since !iving means e%isting5 7e can personi"y the abstract noun Idreams@ and ask 7hether 9the dream o" our "ounders is a!ive:/p.215 !.)1. Civing a!so means e%isting in a speci"ic p!ace5 there"ore utter8 ances !ike 9my parents@ dreams !ive on in my t7o precious daughters:/p.1*5 !.231 are possib!e. >o7ever5 note that this e%amp!e vio!ates the ru!e o" simi!8 arity in overa!! event structure proposed by Cako"" to a certain e%tent$ A human being can on!y e%ist in one p!ace5 not in t7o p!aces as the dreams in this e%amp!e do. An attempt to e%p!ain this deviation "rom the ru!e cou!d be that in the e%amp!e5 the "act o" continuing e%istence is more centra! to the utterance than the "act that he has t7o daughters. Another "eature o" human beings is the abi!ity "or se!"8prope!!ed action5 inc!uding the abi!ity to change their o7n behaviour "or a !ong period o" time N 7hich indeed is not an easy thing to do. he "o!!o7ing 7ords by Barack Obama re"!ect this$ 9 hat's the true genius o" America$ that America can change.:/p.2#5 !.10)1 he di""icu!ty about persona!iYing a nation is that a nation is a!ready made up o" individua! human beings5 and utterances about this nation cou!d be trans8 "erred onto its constituents5 so that the !ast e%amp!e cou!d a!so mean that it is the true genius o" the American people that they can change. his !eads to an ambiguous interpretation o" 9a to!erant America:/p.1*5 !.221 and 9a generous America:/p.1*5 !.2#1$ Are the American peop!e to!erant and generous or is their "oreign po!icy< 2=ua!!y ambiguous is the case o" perception$ 9in numbers this nation has never seen:/p.215 !.(1 N is this a case o" personi"ication or is it 'ust evidence "or the co!!ective perception and memory o" every individua! that is /or has been1 part o" this nation< Or 7hat about 9America5 7e have come so "ar.:/p.2(5 !.1)#1 and 9But kno7 this5 America:/p.2*5 !.211 N 7ou!d it be the
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 1*
same i" Mr Obama addressed 9Americans: instead< I think not. 6ersona!iYing a nation and even addressing it 7ith its name is a 7ay o" sho7ing patriotism and p!easing patriotic citiYens. his is o" paramount importance "or an American presidentia! candidate since patriotism p!ays such a !arge ro!e in in the DSA$ A study by ;or!d Aa!ues Survey revea!ed that citiYens o" the DSA rank very high on patriotismO the average ans7er on the =uestion 9Are you proud to be American<: on a sca!e "rom 1 /not proud1 to # /very proud1 "or high income residents in 1,,, 7as ).B25 7hich is third highest in the 7or!d. ?or e%amp!e5 the average ans7er "or the same conditions in Germany 7as 1.)B /;or!d Aa!ues Survey$ 1,,,1.
?urthermore5 humans have the abi!ity to communicate5 7hich means that i" 7e personi"y events5 states or groups o" peop!e5 then they are a!so ab!e to communicate. he "o!!o7ing e%amp!es i!!ustrate the 9communicative compet8 ence: o" events5 groups o" peop!e and nation states$ 9tonight is your ans7er:/p.215 !.#15 9the ans7er to!d by !ines that stretched around schoo!s JKL5 by peop!e 7ho 7aited JKL:/p.215 !.(15 9 he state o" the economy ca!!s "or action:/p.2B5 !.(015 9 hey Jthe so!diersL have something to te!! us today5 'ust as the "a!!en heroes JKL 7hisper through the ages:/p.2,5 !.11#1 and 9in this e!ec8 tion5 7e are ca!!ed to rea""irm our va!ues and our commitments:/p.1B5 !.#)1. +ote that in the !ast e%amp!e5 7hich is "rom the speech de!ivered at the -emo8 cratic +ationa! Convention5 passive voice is used5 the ob'ect is not stated and I7e@ is not de"ined in the speech N it is not c!ear 7ho is ca!!ing5 nor 7ho is ca!!ed. his "uYYy utterance may 7e!! be intentiona!5 because a!! possib!e inter8 pretations "rom di""erent points o" vie7 render the sentence to be true$ A member o" the democratic party 7i!! interpret it as a con"irmation that they are on the right 7ay and a supporter o" Obama 7i!! probab!y see it as an argument in "avour o" voting "or him. An opponent o" Obama 7i!! also ackno7!edge that 9in this e!ection5 7e are ca!!ed to rea""irm our va!ues and our commitments:/p.1B5 !.#)15 on!y he 7ou!d interpret it as an argument in "avour o" the repub!ican candidate and point out that Obama@s va!ues and commit8 ments are the 7rong ones.
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 1B
-uring the course o" my studies o" the te%t5 I made another interesting observation. Abstract ob'ects need not be persona!iYed as a sing!e person5 they can a!so be conceptua!iYed as a group o" peop!e5 e.g. a "ami!y$ 9and yet sti!! come together as one American "ami!y:/p.1,5 !.11#1. As a !ast e%amp!e5 I 7ant to !ook at 9this spirit that must inhabit us:/p.2,5 !.1131. his is a rather interesting case5 because Ispirit@ is not on!y persona!iYed but I7e@ is a!so de8persona!iYed at the same time. 6eop!e become conceptua!8 iYed as inanimate5 habitab!e structures !ike houses or "!ats. In the target domain this means that American citiYens are sou!!ess and have no 7i!! o" their o7nO instead5 the American peop!e share a sing!e identity. Apart "rom that5 it is another proo" "or preservation o" image schemas across metaphorica! map8 pings5 in this case the schema o" containment. ;e can see that personi"ication is a high!y e""ective too! to convey meaning and evoke certain emotions about abstract concepts such as a nation. the mappings can be constructed in a 7ay that escapes "a!si"iabi!ity. he necessity "or interpretation o" a metaphor is centra! to po!itica! speeches5 since
3. Conclusion
As 7e have seen in numerous e%amp!es5 the understanding o" any utterance re=uires an act o" conte%t8sensitive interpretation by the !istener&hearer. +either metonymy nor metaphor "orm an e%ception \ both are used constant!y and automatica!!y5 7ith neither e""ort nor a7areness /Cako"" 200*1. ;e cou!d sho7 that even everyday concepts !ike time5 causation5 state5 change5 purpose and others are only understood via metaphor. ;e have a!so pointed out the re!8 evance and e""ectiveness o" metonymy and metaphor "or po!itica! speeches in particu!ar5 7hich is rooted in the operating princip!es o" the t7o "igures o" speech. I 7ant to c!ose 7ith a !ast citation by Cako"" /200*5 p. 23*1 that sums up
13
7hat this paper has hope"u!!y sho7n 7ith the he!p o" the speeches o" Barack Obama$
9 he !ocus o" metaphor is thought5 not !anguage:
1,
4. Appendix
4.1 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address (2004)

hank you. hank you so much. hank you so much. hank you. hank you. hank you so much. hank you so much. hank you. hank you. hank you5 -ick -urbin. Mou make us a!! proud. On beha!" o" the great state o" I!!inois5 crossroads o" a nation5 Cand o" Cinco!n5 !et me e%press my deepest gratitude "or the privi!ege o" addressing this con8 vention. onight is a particu!ar honor "or me because ] !et's "ace it ] my presence on this stage is pretty un!ike!y. My "ather 7as a "oreign student5 born and raised in a sma!! vi!!age in .enya. >e gre7 up herding goats5 7ent to schoo! in a tin8roo" shack. >is "ather ] my grand"ather ] 7as a cook5 a domestic servant to the British. But my grand"ather had !arger dreams "or his son. hrough hard 7ork and per8 severance my "ather got a scho!arship to study in a magica! p!ace5 America5 that shone as a beacon o" "reedom and opportunity to so many 7ho had come be"ore. ;hi!e studying here5 my "ather met my mother. She 7as born in a to7n on the other side o" the 7or!d5 in .ansas. >er "ather 7orked on oi! rigs and "arms through most o" the -epression. he day a"ter 6ear! >arbor5 my grand"ather signed up "or dutyO 'oined 6atton's army5 marched across 2urope. Back home5 my grandmother raised their baby and 7ent to 7ork on a bomber assemb!y !ine. A"ter the 7ar5 they studied on the G.I. Bi!!5 bought a house through ?>A5 and !ater moved 7est ] a!! the 7ay to >a7aii5 in search o" opportunity. And they5 too5 had big dreams "or their daughter. A common dream5 born o" t7o continents. My parents shared not on!y an improbab!e !oveO they shared an abiding "aith in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
20
the possibi!ities o" this nation. hey 7ou!d give me an A"rican name5 Barack5 or Eb!essedE5 be!ieving that in a to!erant America5 your name is no barrier to suc8 cess. hey imagined me going to the best schoo!s in the !and5 even though they 7eren't rich5 because in a generous America5 you don't have to be rich to achieve your potentia!. hey are both passed a7ay no7. And yet5 I kno7 that on this night they !ook do7n on me 7ith great pride. I stand here today5 grate"u! "or the diversity o" my heritage5 a7are that my par8 ents@ dreams !ive on in my t7o precious daughters. I stand here kno7ing that my story is part o" the !arger American story5 that I o7e a debt to a!! o" those 7ho came be"ore me5 and that in no other country on 2arth is my story even possib!e. onight5 7e gather to a""irm the greatness o" our nation ] not because o" the height o" our skyscrapers5 or the po7er o" our mi!itary5 or the siYe o" our eco8 nomy. Our pride is based on a very simp!e premise5 summed up in a dec!aration made over t7o hundred years ago$ E;e ho!d these truths to be se!"8evident5 that a!! men are created e=ua!5 that they are endo7ed by their Creator 7ith certain ina!ienab!e Fights5 that among these are Ci"e5 Ciberty and the pursuit o" >appiness.E hat is the true genius o" America ] a "aith in simp!e dreams5 an insistence on sma!! mirac!es. hat 7e can tuck in our chi!dren at night and kno7 that they are "ed and c!othed and sa"e "rom harm. hat 7e can say 7hat 7e think5 7rite 7hat 7e think5 7ithout hearing a sudden knock on the door. hat 7e can have an idea and start our o7n business 7ithout paying a bribe. be counted ] at !east5 most o" the time.^ his year5 in this e!ection5 7e are ca!!ed to rea""irm our va!ues and our commit8 ments5 to ho!d them against a hard rea!ity and see ho7 7e are measuring up to the !egacy o" our "orebears and the promise o" "uture generations. And5 "e!!o7 Americans5 -emocrats5 Fepub!icans5 Independents5 I say to you tonight$ ;e have more 7ork to do. More 7ork to do "or the 7orkers I met in Ga!esburg5 I!!inois5 7ho are !osing their union 'obs at the Maytag p!ant that's moving to Me%ico5 and no7 are having to
27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59
hat 7e can parti8
cipate in the po!itica! process 7ithout "ear o" retribution5 and that our votes 7i!!
compete 7ith their o7n chi!dren "or 'obs that pay seven bucks an hour. More to do "or the "ather that I met 7ho 7as !osing his 'ob and choking back the tears5 7ondering ho7 he 7ou!d pay _#5(00 a month "or the drugs his son needs 7ithout the hea!th bene"its that he counted on. More to do "or the young 7oman in 2ast St. Couis5 and thousands more !ike her5 7ho has the grades5 has the drive5 has the 7i!!5 but doesn't have the money to go to co!!ege. +o75 don't get me 7rong. he peop!e I meet ] in sma!! to7ns and big cities5 in diners and o""ice parks ] they don't e%pect government to so!ve a!! their prob8 !ems. hey kno7 they have to 7ork hard to get ahead ] and they 7ant to. Go into the co!!ar counties around Chicago5 and peop!e 7i!! te!! you they don't 7ant their ta% money 7asted5 by a 7e!"are agency or by the 6entagon. Go into any inner city neighborhood5 and "o!ks 7i!! te!! you that government a!one can't teach our kids to !earn ] they kno7 that parents have to teach5 that chi!dren can't achieve un!ess 7e raise their e%pectations and turn o"" the te!evision sets and eradicate the s!ander that says a b!ack youth 7ith a book is acting 7hite. hey kno7 those things. 6eop!e don't e%pect government to so!ve a!! their prob!ems. But they sense5 deep in their bones5 that 7ith 'ust a s!ight change in priorities5 7e can make sure that every chi!d in America has a decent shot at !i"e5 and that the doors o" opportunity remain open to a!!. hey kno7 7e can do better. And they 7ant that choice. In this e!ection5 7e o""er that choice. Our party has chosen a man to !ead us 7ho embodies the best this country has to o""er. And that man is Hohn .erry. Hohn .erry understands the idea!s o" community5 "aith5 and service because they've de"ined his !i"e. ?rom his heroic service in Aietnam5 to his years as a prosecutor and !ieutenant governor5 through t7o decades in the Dnited States Senate5 he has devoted himse!" to this country. Again and again5 7e've seen him make tough choices 7hen easier ones 7ere avai!ab!e. >is va!ues ] and his record ] a""irm 7hat is best in us. Hohn .erry be!ieves in an America 7here hard 7ork is re7arded. So instead o" o""ering ta% breaks to companies shipping 'obs overseas5 he o""ers them to companies creating 'obs here at home. Hohn .erry be!ieves in an America 7here a!! Americans can a""ord the same
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92
hea!th coverage our po!iticians in ;ashington have "or themse!ves. Hohn .erry be!ieves in energy independence5 so 7e aren't he!d hostage to the pro"its o" oi! companies5 or the sabotage o" "oreign oi! "ie!ds. Hohn .erry be!ieves in the Constitutiona! "reedoms that have made our country the envy o" the 7or!d5 and he 7i!! never sacri"ice our basic !iberties5 nor use "aith as a 7edge to divide us. And Hohn .erry be!ieves that in a dangerous 7or!d5 7ar must be an option sometimes5 but it shou!d never be the "irst option. Mou kno75 a 7hi!e back5 I met a young man named Seamus in a A?; ha!! in 2ast Mo!ine5 I!!inois. >e 7as a good8!ooking kid ] si%8t7o5 si%8three5 c!ear8eyed5 7ith an easy smi!e. >e to!d me he'd 'oined the Marines and 7as heading to Ira= the "o!!o7ing 7eek. And as I !istened to him e%p!ain 7hy he'd en!isted5 the abso!ute "aith he had in our country and its !eaders5 his devotion to duty and service5 I thought this young man 7as a!! that any o" us might hope "or in a chi!d. But then I asked myse!"$ Are 7e serving Seamus as 7e!! as he is serving us< I thought o" the ,00 men and 7omen ] sons and daughters5 husbands and 7ives5 "riends and neighbors5 7ho 7on't be returning to their o7n hometo7ns. I thought o" the "ami!ies I've met 7ho 7ere strugg!ing to get by 7ithout a !oved one's "u!! income5 or 7hose !oved ones had returned 7ith a !imb missing or nerves shattered5 but 7ho sti!! !acked !ong8term hea!th bene"its because they 7ere reservists. ;hen 7e send our young men and 7omen into harm's 7ay5 7e have a so!emn ob!igation not to "udge the numbers or shade the truth about 7hy they're going5 to care "or their "ami!ies 7hi!e they're gone5 to tend to the so!diers upon their return5 and to never ever go to 7ar 7ithout enough troops to 7in the 7ar5 secure the peace5 and earn the respect o" the 7or!d. +o75 !et me be c!ear. ;e have rea! enemies in the 7or!d. hese enemies must be "ound. hey must be pursued. And they must be de"eated. Hohn .erry kno7s this. And 'ust as Cieutenant .erry did not hesitate to risk his !i"e to protect the men 7ho served 7ith him in Aietnam5 6resident .erry 7i!! not hesitate one moment to use our mi!itary might to keep America sa"e and secure.
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 2)
93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125
Hohn .erry be!ieves in America. And he kno7s that it's not enough "or 'ust some o" us to prosper. ?or a!ongside our "amous individua!ism5 there's another ingredient in the American saga$ A be!ie" that 7e're a!! connected as one peop!e. I" there is a chi!d on the south side o" Chicago 7ho can't read5 that matters to me5 even i" it's not my chi!d. I" there's a senior citiYen some7here 7ho can't pay "or their prescription drugs5 and has to choose bet7een medicine and the rent5 that makes my !i"e poorer5 even i" it's not my grandparent. I" there's an Arab American "ami!y being rounded up 7ithout bene"it o" an attorney or due process5 that threatens my civi! !iberties. It is that "undamenta! be!ie" ] I am my brother's keeper5 I am my sister's keeper ] that makes this country 7ork. It's 7hat a!!o7s us to pursue our indi8 vidua! dreams and yet sti!! come together as one American "ami!y. 2 p!uribus unum. EOut o" many5 one.E +o75 even as 7e speak5 there are those 7ho are preparing to divide us$ the spin masters5 the negative ad pedd!ers5 7ho embrace the po!itics o" anything goes. ;e!!5 I say to them tonight5 there is not a !ibera! America and a conser8 vative America ] there is the Dnited States o" America. the Dnited States o" America. he pundits !ike to s!ice8and8dice our country into Fed States and B!ue StatesO Fed States "or Fepub!icans5 B!ue States "or -emocrats. But I've got ne7s "or them5 too$ ;e 7orship an a7esome God in the B!ue States5 and 7e don't !ike "edera! agents poking around in our !ibraries in the Fed States. ;e coach Citt!e Ceague in the B!ue States5 and5 yes5 7e've got some gay "riends in the Fed States. here are patriots 7ho opposed the 7ar in Ira= and there are patriots 7ho supported the 7ar in Ira=. ;e are one peop!e5 a!! o" us p!edging a!!egiance to the stars and stripes5 a!! o" us de"ending the Dnited States o" America. In the end5 that's 7hat this e!ection is about. -o 7e participate in a po!itics o" cynicism5 or do 7e participate in a po!itics o" hope< Hohn .erry ca!!s on us to hope. Hohn 2d7ards ca!!s on us to hope. I'm not ta!king about b!ind optimism here ] the a!most 7i!!"u! ignorance that
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 2#
126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158
here is not a b!ack
America and a 7hite America and Catino America and Asian America ] there's
thinks unemp!oyment 7i!! go a7ay i" 7e 'ust don't think about it5 or the hea!th care crisis 7i!! so!ve itse!" i" 7e 'ust ignore it. hat's not 7hat I'm ta!king about. I'm ta!king about something more substantia!. It's the hope o" s!aves sitting around a "ire singing "reedom songs. he hope o" immigrants setting out "or distant shores. he hope o" a young nava! !ieutenant brave!y patro!!ing the Mekong -e!ta. he hope o" a mi!! 7orker's son 7ho dares to de"y the odds. he hope o" a skinny kid 7ith a "unny name 7ho be!ieves that America has a p!ace "or him5 too. >opeZ >ope in the "ace o" di""icu!tyZ >ope in the "ace o" uncertaintyZ he auda8 city o" hopeZ In the end5 that is God's greatest gi"t to us5 the bedrock o" this nation. A be!ie" in things not seen. A be!ie" that there are better days ahead. I be!ieve that 7e can give our midd!e c!ass re!ie" and provide 7orking "ami!ies 7ith a road to opportunity. I be!ieve 7e can provide 'obs to the 'ob!ess5 homes to the home!ess5 and rec!aim young peop!e in cities across America "rom vio!8 ence and despair. I be!ieve that 7e have a righteous 7ind at our backs and that as 7e stand on the crossroads o" history5 7e can make the right choices5 and meet the cha!!enges that "ace us. AmericaZ onight5 i" you "ee! the same energy that I do5 i" you "ee! the same urgency that I do5 i" you "ee! the same passion I do5 i" you "ee! the same hope8 "u!ness that I do ] i" 7e do 7hat 7e must do5 then I have no doubts that a!! across the country5 "rom ?!orida to Oregon5 "rom ;ashington to Maine5 the peop!e 7i!! rise up in +ovember5 and Hohn .erry 7i!! be s7orn in as president5 and Hohn 2d7ards 7i!! be s7orn in as vice president5 and this country 7i!! rec!aim its promise5 and out o" this !ong po!itica! darkness5 a brighter day 7i!! come. hank you very much5 everybody. God b!ess you. hank you.
159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184
2(
4.2
Election Night Speech in Chicago (2008)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
>e!!o5 Chicago. I" there is anyone out there 7ho sti!! doubts that America is a p!ace 7here a!! things are possib!e5 7ho sti!! 7onders i" the dream o" our "ounders is a!ive in our time5 7ho sti!! =uestions the po7er o" our democracy5 tonight is your ans7er. It's the ans7er to!d by !ines that stretched around schoo!s and churches in numbers this nation has never seen5 by peop!e 7ho 7aited three hours and "our hours5 many "or the "irst time in their !ives5 because they be!ieved that this time must be di""erent5 that their voices cou!d be that di""erence. It's the ans7er spoken by young and o!d5 rich and poor5 -emocrat and Fepub8 !ican5 b!ack5 7hite5 >ispanic5 Asian5 +ative American5 gay5 straight5 disab!ed and not disab!ed. Americans 7ho sent a message to the 7or!d that 7e have never been 'ust a co!!ection o" individua!s or a co!!ection o" red states and b!ue states. ;e are5 and a!7ays 7i!! be5 the Dnited States o" America. It's the ans7er that !ed those 7ho've been to!d "or so !ong by so many to be cynica! and "ear"u! and doubt"u! about 7hat 7e can achieve to put their hands on the arc o" history and bend it once more to7ard the hope o" a better day. It's been a !ong time coming5 but tonight5 because o" 7hat 7e did on this day5 in this e!ection5 at this de"ining moment5 change has come to America J2L. A !itt!e bit ear!ier this evening5 I received an e%traordinari!y gracious ca!! "rom Senator McCain. Senator McCain "ought !ong and hard in this campaign. And he's "ought even !onger and harder "or the country that he !oves. >e has endured sacri"ices "or America that most o" us cannot begin to imagine. ;e are better o"" "or the ser8 vice rendered by this brave and se!"!ess !eader. I congratu!ate himO I congratu!ate Governor 6a!in "or a!! that they've achieved. And I !ook "or7ard to 7orking 7ith them to rene7 this nation's promise in the months ahead. I 7ant to thank my partner in this 'ourney5 a man 7ho campaigned "rom his heart5 and spoke "or the men and 7omen he gre7 up 7ith on the streets o"
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 2*
Scranton K and rode 7ith on the train home to -e!a7are5 the vice presid8 ent8e!ect o" the Dnited States5 Hoe Biden. And I 7ou!d not be standing here tonight 7ithout the unyie!ding support o" my best "riend "or the !ast 1* years K the rock o" our "ami!y5 the !ove o" my !i"e5 the nation's ne%t "irst !ady K Miche!!e Obama. Sasha and Ma!ia K I !ove you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the ne7 puppy that's coming 7ith us K to the ;hite >ouse. And 7hi!e she's no !onger 7ith us5 I kno7 my grandmother's 7atching5 a!ong 7ith the "ami!y that made me 7ho I am. I miss them tonight. I kno7 that my debt to them is beyond measure. o my sister Maya5 my sister Auma5 a!! my other brothers and sisters5 thank you so much "or a!! the support that you've given me. I am grate"u! to them. And to my campaign manager5 -avid 6!ou""e K the unsung hero o" this cam8 paign5 7ho bui!t the best ] the best po!itica! campaign5 I think5 in the history o" the Dnited States o" America. o my chie" strategist -avid A%e!rod K 7ho's been a partner 7ith me every step o" the 7ay. o the best campaign team ever assemb!ed in the history o" po!itics K you made this happen5 and I am "orever grate"u! "or 7hat you've sacri"iced to get it done. But above a!!5 I 7i!! never "orget 7ho this victory tru!y be!ongs to. It be!ongs to you. It be!ongs to you. I 7as never the !ike!iest candidate "or this o""ice. ;e didn't start 7ith much money or many endorsements. Our campaign 7as not hatched in the ha!!s o" ;ashington. It began in the backyards o" -es Moines and the !iving rooms o" Concord and the "ront porches o" Char!eston. It 7as bui!t by 7orking men and 7omen 7ho dug into 7hat !itt!e savings they had to give _( and _10 and _20 to the cause.J)L It gre7 strength "rom the young peop!e 7ho re'ected the myth o" their genera8 tion's apathy K 7ho !e"t their homes and their "ami!ies "or 'obs that o""ered !itt!e pay and !ess s!eep. It dre7 strength "rom the not8so8young peop!e 7ho braved the bitter co!d and scorching heat to knock on doors o" per"ect strangers5 and "rom the mi!!ions o"
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 2B
32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64
Americans 7ho vo!unteered and organiYed and proved that more than t7o cen8 turies !ater a government o" the peop!e5 by the peop!e5 and "or the peop!e has not perished "rom the 2arth. his is your victory. And I kno7 you didn't do this 'ust to 7in an e!ection. And I kno7 you didn't do it "or me. Mou did it because you understand the enormity o" the task that !ies ahead. ?or even as 7e ce!ebrate tonight5 7e kno7 the cha!!enges that tomorro7 7i!! bring are the greatest o" our !i"etime ] t7o 7ars5 a p!anet in peri!5 the 7orst "inancia! crisis in a century. 2ven as 7e stand here tonight5 7e kno7 there are brave Americans 7aking up in the deserts o" Ira= and the mountains o" A"ghanistan to risk their !ives "or us. here are mothers and "athers 7ho 7i!! !ie a7ake a"ter the chi!dren "a!! as!eep and 7onder ho7 they'!! make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bi!!s or save enough "or their chi!d's co!!ege education. here's ne7 energy to harness5 ne7 'obs to be created5 ne7 schoo!s to bui!d5 and threats to meet5 a!!iances to repair. he road ahead 7i!! be !ong. Our c!imb 7i!! be steep. ;e may not get there in one year or even in one term. But5 America5 I have never been more hope"u! than I am tonight that 7e 7i!! get there. I promise you5 7e as a peop!e 7i!! get there. here 7i!! be setbacks and "a!se starts. can't so!ve every prob!em. But I 7i!! a!7ays be honest 7ith you about the cha!!enges 7e "ace. I 7i!! !isten to you5 especia!!y 7hen 7e disagree. And5 above a!!5 I 7i!! ask you to 'oin in the 7ork o" remaking this nation5 the on!y 7ay it's been done in America "or 221 years ] b!ock by b!ock5 brick by brick5 ca!!oused hand by ca!!oused hand. ;hat began 21 months ago in the depths o" 7inter cannot end on this autumn night. his victory a!one is not the change 7e seek. It is on!y the chance "or us to make that change. And that cannot happen i" 7e go back to the 7ay things 7ere.
65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97
here are many 7ho 7on't agree 7ith
every decision or po!icy I make as president. And 7e kno7 the government
It can't happen 7ithout you5 7ithout a ne7 spirit o" service5 a ne7 spirit o" sac8 ri"ice. So !et us summon a ne7 spirit o" patriotism5 o" responsibi!ity5 7here each o" us reso!ves to pitch in and 7ork harder and !ook a"ter not on!y ourse!ves but each other. Cet us remember that5 i" this "inancia! crisis taught us anything5 it's that 7e cannot have a thriving ;a!! Street 7hi!e Main Street su""ers. In this country5 7e rise or "a!! as one nation5 as one peop!e. Cet's resist the temptation to "a!! back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our po!itics "or so !ong. Cet's remember that it 7as a man "rom this state 7ho "irst carried the banner o" the Fepub!ican 6arty to the ;hite >ouse5 a party "ounded on the va!ues o" se!"8re!iance and individua! !iberty and nationa! unity. hose are va!ues that 7e a!! share. And 7hi!e the -emocratic 6arty has 7on a great victory tonight5 7e do so 7ith a measure o" humi!ity and determination to hea! the divides that have he!d back our progress. As Cinco!n said to a nation "ar more divided than ours5 7e are not enemies but "riends. a""ection. And to those Americans 7hose support I have yet to earn5 I may not have 7on your vote tonight5 but I hear your voices. I need your he!p. And I 7i!! be your president5 too. And to a!! those 7atching tonight "rom beyond our shores5 "rom par!iaments and pa!aces5 to those 7ho are hudd!ed around radios in the "orgotten corners o" the 7or!d5 our stories are singu!ar5 but our destiny is shared5 and a ne7 da7n o" American !eadership is at hand. o those ] to those 7ho 7ou!d tear the 7or!d do7n$ ;e 7i!! de"eat you. o those 7ho seek peace and security$ ;e support you. And to a!! those 7ho have 7ondered i" America's beacon sti!! burns as bright$ onight 7e proved once more that the true strength o" our nation comes not "rom the might o" our arms or the sca!e o" our 7ea!th5 but "rom the enduring po7er o" our idea!s$ demo8 cracy5 !iberty5 opportunity and unyie!ding hope. hat's the true genius o" America$ that America can change. Our union can be
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 2,
98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130
hough passion may have strained5 it must not break our bonds o"
per"ected. ;hat 7e've a!ready achieved gives us hope "or 7hat 7e can and must achieve tomorro7. his e!ection had many "irsts and many stories that 7i!! be to!d "or generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a 7oman 7ho cast her ba!!ot in At!anta. She's a !ot !ike the mi!!ions o" others 7ho stood in !ine to make their voice heard in this e!ection e%cept "or one thing$ Ann +i%on Cooper is 10* years o!d. She 7as born 'ust a generation past s!averyO a time 7hen there 7ere no cars on the road or p!anes in the skyO 7hen someone !ike her cou!dn't vote "or t7o reasons ] because she 7as a 7oman and because o" the co!or o" her skin. And tonight5 I think about a!! that she's seen throughout her century in America ] the heartache and the hopeO the strugg!e and the progressO the times 7e 7ere to!d that 7e can't5 and the peop!e 7ho pressed on 7ith that American creed$ Mes 7e can. At a time 7hen 7omen's voices 7ere si!enced and their hopes dismissed5 she !ived to see them stand up and speak out and reach out "or the ba!!ot. Mes 7e can. ;hen there 7as despair in the dust bo7! and depression across the !and5 she sa7 a nation con=uer "ear itse!" 7ith a +e7 -ea!5 ne7 'obs5 a ne7 sense o" common purpose. Mes 7e can. ;hen the bombs "e!! on our harbor and tyranny threatened the 7or!d5 she 7as there to 7itness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy 7as saved. Mes 7e can. She 7as there "or the buses in Montgomery5 the hoses in Birmingham5 a bridge in Se!ma5 and a preacher "rom At!anta 7ho to!d a peop!e that 7e sha!! over8 come. Mes 7e can. A man touched do7n on the moon5 a 7a!! came do7n in Ber!in5 a 7or!d 7as connected by our o7n science and imagination. And this year5 in this e!ection5 she touched her "inger to a screen5 and cast her vote5 because a"ter 10* years in America5 through the best o" times and the
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 )0
131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163
darkest o" hours5 she kno7s ho7 America can change. Mes 7e can. America5 7e have come so "ar. ;e have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight5 !et us ask ourse!ves ] i" our chi!dren shou!d !ive to see the ne%t centuryO i" my daughters shou!d be so !ucky to !ive as !ong as Ann +i%on Cooper5 7hat change 7i!! they see< ;hat progress 7i!! 7e have made< his is our chance to ans7er that ca!!. his is our moment. his is our time5 to put our peop!e back to 7ork and open doors o" opportunity "or our kidsO to restore prosperity and promote the cause o" peaceO to rec!aim the American dream and rea""irm that "undamenta! truth5 that5 out o" many5 7e are oneO that 7hi!e 7e breathe5 7e hope. And 7here 7e are met 7ith cynicism and doubts and those 7ho te!! us that 7e can't5 7e 7i!! respond 7ith that time8 !ess creed that sums up the spirit o" a peop!e$ Mes5 7e can. hank youO God b!ess you5 and may God b!ess the Dnited States o" America.
164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178
)1
4.3 Inaugural Address Speech (2009)

My "e!!o7 citiYens$ I stand here today humb!ed by the task be"ore us5 grate"u! "or the trust you have besto7ed5 mind"u! o" the sacri"ices borne by our ancestors. I thank 6res8 ident Bush "or his service to our nation5 as 7e!! as the generosity and coopera8 tion he has sho7n throughout this transition. ?orty8"our Americans have no7 taken the presidentia! oath.J1L he 7ords have been spoken during rising tides o" prosperity and the sti!! 7aters o" peace. Met5 every so o"ten the oath is taken amidst gathering c!ouds and raging storms. At these moments5 America has carried on not simp!y because o" the ski!! or vision o" those in high o""ice5 but because ;e the 6eop!e have remained "aith"u! to the idea!s o" our "orbearers5 and true to our "ounding documents. So it has been. So it must be 7ith this generation o" Americans. hat 7e are in the midst o" crisis is no7 7e!! understood. Our nation is at 7ar5 against a "ar8reaching net7ork o" vio!ence and hatred. Our economy is bad!y 7eakened5 a conse=uence o" greed and irresponsibi!ity on the part o" some5 but a!so our co!!ective "ai!ure to make hard choices and prepare the nation "or a ne7 age. >omes have been !ostO 'obs shedO businesses shuttered. Our hea!th care is too cost!yO our schoo!s "ai! too manyO and each day brings "urther evid8 ence that the 7ays 7e use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our p!anet. hese are the indicators o" crisis5 sub'ect to data and statistics. Cess measur8 ab!e but no !ess pro"ound is a sapping o" con"idence across our !and ] a nag8 ging "ear that America's dec!ine is inevitab!e5 and that the ne%t generation must !o7er its sights. oday I say to you that the cha!!enges 7e "ace are rea!. hey are serious and they are many. hey 7i!! not be met easi!y or in a short span o" time. But kno7 this5 America ] they 7i!! be met. On this day5 7e gather because 7e have chosen hope over "ear5 unity o" purpose over con"!ict and discord. On this day5 7e come to proc!aim an end to the petty grievances and "a!se promises5 the recriminations and 7orn8out dogmas5 that "or "ar too !ong have strang!ed our po!itics.
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 )2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
;e remain a young nation5 but in the 7ords o" Scripture5 the time has come to set aside chi!dish things. he time has come to rea""irm our enduring spiritO to choose our better historyO to carry "or7ard that precious gi"t5 that nob!e idea5 passed on "rom generation to generation$ the God8given promise that a!! are e=ua!5 a!! are "ree5 and a!! deserve a chance to pursue their "u!! measure o" hap8 piness. In rea""irming the greatness o" our nation5 7e understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our 'ourney has never been one o" short8cuts or sett!ing8"or8!ess. It has not been the path "or the "aint8hearted ] "or those 7ho pre"er !eisure over 7ork5 or seek on!y the p!easures o" riches and "ame. Father5 it has been the risk8takers5 the doers5 the makers o" things ] some ce!8 ebrated but more o"ten men and 7omen obscure in their !abor5 7ho have car8 ried us up the !ong5 rugged path to7ards prosperity and "reedom. ?or us5 they packed up their "e7 7or!d!y possessions and trave!ed across oceans in search o" a ne7 !i"e. ?or us5 they toi!ed in s7eatshops and sett!ed the ;estO endured the !ash o" the 7hip and p!o7ed the hard earth. ?or us5 they "ought and died5 in p!aces !ike Concord and GettysburgO +ormandy and .he Sanh. ime and again these men and 7omen strugg!ed and sacri"iced and 7orked ti!! their hands 7ere ra7 so that 7e might !ive a better !i"e. a!! the di""erences o" birth or 7ea!th or "action. his is the 'ourney 7e continue today. ;e remain the most prosperous5 po7er"u! nation on 2arth. Our 7orkers are no !ess productive than 7hen this crisis began. Our minds are no !ess inventive5 our goods and services no !ess needed than they 7ere !ast 7eek or !ast month or !ast year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time o" standing pat5 o" protecting narro7 interests and putting o"" unp!easant decisions ] that time has sure!y passed. Starting today5 7e must pick ourse!ves up5 dust ourse!ves o""5 and begin again the 7ork o" remaking America. ?or every7here 7e !ook5 there is 7ork to be done. he state o" the economy ca!!s "or action5 bo!d and s7i"t5 and 7e 7i!! act ] not on!y to create ne7 'obs5 but to !ay a ne7 "oundation "or gro7th. ;e 7i!! bui!d the roads and bridges5 the
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 ))
32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64
hey
sa7 America as bigger than the sum o" our individua! ambitionsO greater than
e!ectric grids and digita! !ines that "eed our commerce and bind us together. ;e 7i!! restore science to its right"u! p!ace5 and 7ie!d techno!ogy's 7onders to raise hea!th care's =ua!ity and !o7er its cost. ;e 7i!! harness the sun and the 7inds and the soi! to "ue! our cars and run our "actories. And 7e 7i!! trans"orm our schoo!s and co!!eges and universities to meet the demands o" a ne7 age. A!! this 7e can do. And a!! this 7e 7i!! do. +o75 there are some 7ho =uestion the sca!e o" our ambitions ] 7ho suggest that our system cannot to!erate too many big p!ans. heir memories are short. ?or they have "orgotten 7hat this country has a!ready doneO 7hat "ree men and 7omen can achieve 7hen imagination is 'oined to common purpose5 and necessity to courage. ;hat the cynics "ai! to understand is that the ground has shi"ted beneath them ] that the sta!e po!itica! arguments that have consumed us "or so !ong no !onger app!y. he =uestion 7e ask today is not 7hether our government is too big or too sma!!5 but 7hether it 7orks ] 7hether it he!ps "ami!ies "ind 'obs at a decent 7age5 care they can a""ord5 a retirement that is digni"ied. ;here the ans7er is yes5 7e intend to move "or7ard. ;here the ans7er is no5 programs 7i!! end. And those o" us 7ho manage the pub!ic's do!!ars 7i!! be he!d to account ] to spend 7ise!y5 re"orm bad habits5 and do our business in the !ight o" day ] because on!y then can 7e restore the vita! trust bet7een a peop!e and their government. +or is the =uestion be"ore us 7hether the market is a "orce "or good or i!!. Its po7er to generate 7ea!th and e%pand "reedom is unmatched5 but this crisis has reminded us that 7ithout a 7atch"u! eye5 the market can spin out o" contro! ] and that a nation cannot prosper !ong 7hen it "avors on!y the prosperous. he success o" our economy has a!7ays depended not 'ust on the siYe o" our Gross -omestic 6roduct5 but on the reach o" our prosperityO on our abi!ity to e%tend opportunity to every 7i!!ing heart ] not out o" charity5 but because it is the surest route to our common good. As "or our common de"ense5 7e re'ect as "a!se the choice bet7een our sa"ety and our idea!s. Our ?ounding ?athers5 "aced 7ith peri!s 7e can scarce!y ima8 gine5 dra"ted a charter to assure the ru!e o" !a7 and the rights o" man5 a charter
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 )#
65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97
e%panded by the b!ood o" generations. hose idea!s sti!! !ight the 7or!d5 and 7e 7i!! not give them up "or e%pedience's sake. And so to a!! other peop!es and governments 7ho are 7atching today5 "rom the grandest capita!s to the sma!! vi!!age 7here my "ather 7as born$ kno7 that America is a "riend o" each nation and every man5 7oman5 and chi!d 7ho seeks a "uture o" peace and dignity5 and that 7e are ready to !ead once more. Feca!! that ear!ier generations "aced do7n "ascism and communism not 'ust 7ith missi!es and tanks5 but 7ith sturdy a!!iances and enduring convictions. hey understood that our po7er a!one cannot protect us5 nor does it entit!e us to do as 7e p!ease. Instead5 they kne7 that our po7er gro7s through its prudent useO our security emanates "rom the 'ustness o" our cause5 the "orce o" our e%amp!e5 the tempering =ua!ities o" humi!ity and restraint. ;e are the keepers o" this !egacy. Guided by these princip!es once more5 7e can meet those ne7 threats that demand even greater e""ort ] even greater cooperation and understanding bet7een nations. ;e 7i!! begin to responsib!y !eave Ira= to its peop!e5 and "orge a hard8earned peace in A"ghanistan. ;ith o!d "riends and "ormer "oes5 7e 7i!! 7ork tire!ess!y to !essen the nuc!ear threat5 and ro!! back the specter o" a 7arming p!anet. ;e 7i!! not apo!ogiYe "or our 7ay o" !i"e5 nor 7i!! 7e 7aver in its de"ense5 and "or those 7ho seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and s!aughtering innocents5 7e say to you no7 that our spirit is stronger and cannot be brokenO you cannot out!ast us5 and 7e 7i!! de"eat you. ?or 7e kno7 that our patch7ork heritage is a strength5 not a 7eakness. ;e are a nation o" Christians and Mus!ims5 He7s and >indus ] and non8be!ievers. ;e are shaped by every !anguage and cu!ture5 dra7n "rom every end o" this 2arthO and because 7e have tasted the bitter s7i!! o" civi! 7ar and segregation5 and emerged "rom that dark chapter stronger and more united5 7e cannot he!p but be!ieve that the o!d hatreds sha!! someday passO that the !ines o" tribe sha!! soon disso!veO that as the 7or!d gro7s sma!!er5 our common humanity sha!! revea! itse!"O and that America must p!ay its ro!e in ushering in a ne7 era o" peace. o the Mus!im 7or!d5 7e seek a ne7 7ay "or7ard5 based on mutua! interest and mutua! respect.
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 )(
98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130
o those !eaders around the g!obe 7ho seek to so7 con"!ict5 or b!ame their soci8 ety's i!!s on the ;est ] kno7 that your peop!e 7i!! 'udge you on 7hat you can bui!d5 not 7hat you destroy. o those 7ho c!ing to po7er through corruption and deceit and the si!encing o" dissent5 kno7 that you are on the 7rong side o" his8 toryO but that 7e 7i!! e%tend a hand i" you are 7i!!ing to unc!ench your "ist. o the peop!e o" poor nations5 7e p!edge to 7ork a!ongside you to make your "arms "!ourish and !et c!ean 7aters "!o7O to nourish starved bodies and "eed hungry minds. And to those nations !ike ours that en'oy re!ative p!enty5 7e say 7e can no !onger a""ord indi""erence to su""ering outside our bordersO nor can 7e consume the 7or!d's resources 7ithout regard to e""ect. ?or the 7or!d has changed5 and 7e must change 7ith it. As 7e consider the road that un"o!ds be"ore us5 7e remember 7ith humb!e gratitude those brave Americans 7ho5 at this very hour5 patro! "ar8o"" deserts and distant mountains. hey have something to te!! us today5 'ust as the "a!!en heroes 7ho !ie in Ar!ington 7hisper through the ages. ;e honor them not on!y because they are guardians o" our !iberty5 but because they embody the spirit o" serviceO a 7i!!ingness to "ind meaning in something greater than themse!ves. And yet5 at this moment ] a moment that 7i!! de"ine a generation ] it is precise!y this spirit that must inhabit us a!!. ?or as much as government can do and must do5 it is u!timate!y the "aith and determination o" the American peop!e upon 7hich this nation re!ies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger 7hen the !evees break5 the se!"!essness o" 7orkers 7ho 7ou!d rather cut their hours than see a "riend !ose their 'ob 7hich sees us through our darkest hours. It is the "ire"ighter's courage to storm a stair7ay "i!!ed 7ith smoke5 but a!so a parent's 7i!!ingness to nurture a chi!d5 that "ina!!y decides our "ate. Our cha!!enges may be ne7. he instruments 7ith 7hich 7e meet them may be ne7. But those va!ues upon 7hich our success depends ] hard 7ork and hon8 esty5 courage and "air p!ay5 to!erance and curiosity5 !oya!ty and patriotism ] these things are o!d. hese things are true. hey have been the =uiet "orce o" progress throughout our history. ;hat is demanded then is a return to these truths. ;hat is re=uired o" us no7 is a ne7 era o" responsibi!ity ] a recogni 8 tion5 on the part o" every American5 that 7e have duties to ourse!ves5 our
Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010 )*
131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163
nation5 and the 7or!d5 duties that 7e do not grudging!y accept but rather seiYe g!ad!y5 "irm in the kno7!edge that there is nothing so satis"ying to the spirit5 so de"ining o" our character5 than giving our a!! to a di""icu!t task. his is the price and the promise o" citiYenship. his is the source o" our con"idence ] the kno7!edge that God ca!!s on us to shape an uncertain destiny. his is the meaning o" our !iberty and our creed ] 7hy men and 7omen and chi!dren o" every race and every "aith can 'oin in ce!ebration across this magni8 "icent ma!!5 and 7hy a man 7hose "ather !ess than si%ty years ago might not have been served at a !oca! restaurant can no7 stand be"ore you to take a most sacred oath. So !et us mark this day 7ith remembrance5 o" 7ho 7e are and ho7 "ar 7e have trave!ed. In the year o" America's birth5 in the co!dest o" months5 a sma!! band o" patriots hudd!ed by dying camp"ires on the shores o" an icy river. he capita! 7as abandoned. he enemy 7as advancing. he sno7 7as stained 7ith b!ood. At a moment 7hen the outcome o" our revo!ution 7as most in doubt5 the "ather o" our nation ordered these 7ords be read to the peop!e$J2L ECet it be to!d to the "uture 7or!d...that in the depth o" 7inter5 7hen nothing but hope and virtue cou!d survive...that the city and the country5 a!armed at one common danger5 came "orth to meet JitL.E America. In the "ace o" our common dangers5 in this 7inter o" our hardship5 !et us remember these time!ess 7ords. ;ith hope and virtue5 !et us brave once more the icy currents5 and endure 7hat storms may come. Cet it be said by our chi!dren's chi!dren that 7hen 7e 7ere tested 7e re"used to !et this 'ourney end5 that 7e did not turn back nor did 7e "a!terO and 7ith eyes "i%ed on the horiYon and God's grace upon us5 7e carried "orth that great gi"t o" "reedom and de!ivered it sa"e!y to "uture generations. hank you. God b!ess you. And God b!ess the Dnited States o" America.
164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191
)B
5. Bibliography
Baer5 -r. H. ;.5 /1,,21. %he &ledge of Allegiance - A Short 'istory$ March 2(5 200,5 http$&&history.vineyard.net&p!edge.htm. Hohnson5 M. /1,3B1.%he "ody in the mind( %he "odily "asis of meaning, imagination, and reason$ Chicago$ Dniversity o" Chicago 6ress. Cako""5 G. /1,3B1. Cognitive mode!s and prototype theory. In D. +eisser /2d.15 )oncepts and conceptual de elopment( Ecological and intellectual factors in categori#ation. Cambridge$ Cambridge Dniversity 6ress. Cako""5 G. /200*1. he contemporary theory o" metaphor. In Geeraerts5 -. /2d.15 )ogniti e Linguistics( *asic +eadings /13(82)B1. Ber!in$ Mouton de Gruyter. Cako""5 G. X urner5 M. /1,3,1 ,ore %han )ool +eason( A -ield Guide to &oetic ,etaphor$ Chicago$ Dniversity o" Chicago 6ress. Cidde!!5 >. G. X Scott5 F. /200,1. A Greek-English Lexicon, 2ntry "or metaphora retrieved March 2#5 200, "rom http$&&777.perseus.tu"ts.edu&cgi8bin&pte%t< doc[6erseus`)Ate%t`)A1,,,.0#.00(B`)Aentry`)-`2)*B01( Obama5 B. /200#1. .eynote address at the /emocratic National )on ention in *oston$ ranscript retrieved March 105 200, "rom http$&&777.7ashingtonpost.com&7p8dyn&artic!es&A1,B(18200#Hu!2B.htm!. Obama5 B. /20031. Election Night 0ictory 1 &residential Acceptance Speech$ ranscript retrieved March 105 200, "rom http$&&e!ections.nytimes.com&2003&resu!ts&president&speeches&obama8 victory8speech.htm!. Obama5 B. /200,1. 2naugural Address$ ranscript retrieved March 105 200, "rom http$&&777.nytimes.com&200,&01&20&us&po!itics&20te%t8obama.htm! ay!or5 H. F. /200)1 Linguistic )ategori#ation( &rototypes in Linguistic %heory$ O%"ord$ O%"ord Dniversity 6ress . ;or!d Aa!ues Survey5 On!ine -ata Ana!ysis$ Comparison o" the sets "or Dnited States o" America and Germany "rom 1,,,5 +ationa! Identity N CitiYenship N auestion G00*. 23.).200,. http$&&777.7or!dva!uessurvey.com.
)3
6. Declaration
I hereby dec!are that this seminar paper is my o7n 7ork. +o other than the stated sources have been used. It has not been submitted be"ore "or any sem8 inar or e%amination at any other Dniversity.
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb /A!e%ander M4!!er1
),

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama&#39;s Speeches

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama&#39;s Speeches

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

2. Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

;ashington:/p.225 !.##1 member.

he names o" the bui!dings accommodating ma'or

7hat you rea!!y mean.

ahead 7i!! be !ong. Our c!imb 7i!! be steep:/p.2)5 !.**1.

here may be impedi8

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

the "irst part uses the metaphor GOO-

-O;+ in the =ua!ity domain

and the !atter uses the metaphor MOF2

-O;+ "rom the domain o"

-O;+ can be app!ied to =ua!ity as 7e!!. Moreover5 there

D65 6O;2FC2SS+2SS D65 F2AC

-O;+1$ 9high -O;+1$ 9they

-O;+1$ 9the peop!e 7i!! rise up

in +ovember:/p.205 !.#31 and in spiritua!ity /SD62F+A

-O;+1$ 9my deepest gratitude:/p.1*5 !.)15 in importance

-O;+1$ 9But above a!!5 JKL:/p.225 !.#115 and in eva!u8

-O;+$ Hust try and s!eep 7hi!e

-O;+ is a!so covered.

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

the combination o" the !atter t7o resu!ts in GOO-

-O;+$ Being ab!e to

HODF+2M5 but it is more

he conceptua!isation o" time as movement is

centra! to our thinking5 but surprising!y it is understood in t7o "undamenta!!y

IM2 6ASSI+G IS MO IO+ OA2F A CA+-SCA62

IM2 6ASSI+G IS MO IO+ O? A+ OBH2C

he ob'ects 'ust passing him

represent the present5 and their movement is continuous and one8dimensiona!5

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

62O6C2 can on!y be app!ied 7hen

urner /1,3B1 ca!!s this the

metaphor. An even more comp!e% e%amp!e is 9A

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

9 he !ocus o" metaphor is thought5 not !anguage:

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

4.1 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address (2004)

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

hat 7e can parti8

here is not a b!ack

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

Election Night Speech in Chicago (2008)

here are many 7ho 7on't agree 7ith

every decision or po!icy I make as president. And 7e kno7 the government

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

4.3 Inaugural Address Speech (2009)

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb /A!e%ander M4!!er1

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches. A.M4!!er5 2010

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches

Metonymy and Metaphor in Barack Obama's Speeches