The text presented in a speech derived from Obama to the United Nations
in 2012. The text can be presented as a political speech, which can be
identified through the use of Rhetoric devices toward a specific entity to
express or convey the event discussing the 2012 Benghazi attack. As we can see,
Obama has used many real life situations and events and many literary
techniques such as Anaphora and Alliteration within his speech to appeal to his
audience to create an awareness of the bombing in Libya situation in 2012.
President of the United States, Barack Obama delivered this speech to
the UN, which informs us that the intended audience was for a wide variety of
people. For instance, this speech could have been delivered to only an American
audience to promote awareness, however the fact that this was sent to the UN
emphasizes that this was to be delivered on a more global scale, as the citizens
of the US are not the only nation who should be aware. Perhaps this speech was
delivered to appeal to a vast range of audiences for the UN to take action of
the situation that happened in Benghazi. We can also infer that there are many
references to the unity of the American people, emphasizing how this attack on
Benghazi does not affect only the Libyans, however other countries on a global
scale, therefore offering to the UN that this is not just a problem in Africa
as Obama has stated “These are not simply American values or Western values - they are universal values.” The United Nations
has a reputation for being humane and also appears to be very powerful on an
international scale, which is perhaps why Obama has delivered this speech to
the UN.
Discussing about the structure of this speech, Obama has employed the
starting of this speech using Anaphora using the name “Chris.” Immediately, the
audience is informed by Chris and his actions by being an American. This
literary device is used to emphasize how Obama wanted to portray Chris as an
“embodiment of America” to inform the public of deeds they should aspire to be.
This also employs Ethos toward the public, as Obama expresses that Chris,
although employed these deeds, he was also killed, expressing that the bombing
in Libya killed the “best of America.” Throughout the speech, Obama has
referenced the claims and situations back to the UN, such as “They are not simply an assault on
America, they
are also an assault on the very ideals upon which the United Nations was
founded” emphasizing on how this attacks are betraying the purpose of the UN
which gives the UN more reason to take action upon this situation. This is also
an example of Antithesis, which relates back to the idea that this is not just for
America, but also for the range of other countries that could potentially be
affected by this event.
Obama
also employs a vast range of certainty, emphasizing that this situation should
not be avoided, in anaphora such as “We
will,” and “We must” and the aspect of time is considered in the context that
we should strive for a better future, appealing to logos for leaving the
audience to rationalize why they need to make a change for the future.
Through the variation of context in Obama’s speech, he finished the
speech with the situation of the bombing of Benghazi to illustrate the
important of taking action to the UN through the event previously mentions and
examples through the literary devices used. This allows the audience to relate
to the pathos through the speech inspiring them on what to do for the future
generation. There are different themes that vary throughout the speech although
the overall idea is that of the Benghazi attack. The themes mentioned of that are the future,
international scale, and political rights. For example, the phrases such as “a
new era of responsibility”, and “The future must not belong to those
who target Coptic Christians in
Egypt” which is also used as anaphora to imply a change for a better future.
“We are strengthened by our differences, not defined by them” is illustrated by
Antithesis to exhibit the contrast by a united nation in which Obama has
implied to the UN that the attack on Benghazi overall should not be overlooked
as mankind should not bomb one another by our differences in race or religion
and lastly, “I will our efforts to combat the scourge of human trafficking” is
used to another theme of human rights used for Obama to point out that the
Attack on Benghazi was inhumane, in which the UN should oppose.
Overall, the tone of this
speech throughout seems very immediate and stern. These two although very
similar tones to fluctuate on each other throughout the speech. In the
beginning of the speech, Obama uses a very stern mood and atmosphere toward the
public, through initiating what “the best of America” is embodied in and how we
need to strive for it. It also employs a stern tone because of how Obama has
used different events across the world such as On the same day our civilians
were killed in Benghazi, a Turkish police officer was murdered in Istanbul only
days before his wedding; more than ten Yemenis were killed in a car bomb…”
exhibits the concern Obama has toward the UN, and this speech employs a stern
tone and atmosphere through phrases such as “It is time to leave…” and “We
cannot afford…” suggesting the essence of time, and how an act needs to be
taken at this moment in time, exhibiting the urgency in his speech, however
even though there are two tones, they all undergo the same mood reflected upon
the audience. The use of hope is also evident within this speech however, suggesting
some sense of relief and time to act for a better future, in which Obama has
identified in “I’ve witnessed after nearly four years as president, I am
hopeful…” and also ensuring the public that “Partnership to ensure that women
and girls can fully participate
in politics and pursue” which is used as alliteration, to
show the people that there is light at the end of this tunnel- however seems to
be a oversimplification to the UN that this is what will happen is this
situation is addressed in Libya.
As
previously mentioned, this speech makes use of many literary devices. For
example, Obama has opened the speech already with anaphora using the word
“Chris”. Also, the term “We” in the beginning of the speech employs pathos to
the audience, as it makes the audience involved in such affairs of helping to
change the word by making the decisions. Antithesis is also a major literary
device used within Obama’s speech. Perhaps Obama has used this literary
technique to create emphasis on the second clause of the sentence, for example
the phrase “we are strengthened by our differences, and not
defined by them” emphasizing that differences strengthens us, juxtaposed to how
they are not.
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