Appunti presi a lezione di Lingua inglese (corso completo secondo anno)

Inaugural Addresses as a Text Genre

Strongly codifies text genre, not only in terms of linguistic expression, but also from the contextual-situational view point.

Until 1937 --> they were delivered on March 4th

From 1937 (with Roosevelt) they were delivered on January 20th to shorten the former President's "lame duck tenancy"

Addressees:

• The group of intended recipients making up the "particular Audience" is much larger than the audience addressed during the presidential campaign
• In time the mediatisation of political communication and the globalization of political perspectives has enlarged the audience of inaugural addresses to a planetary size

Historical stages:

Recurrent themes:

• America's history - history in the making
• America's values: democracy, liberty
• Founding fathers - forebears
• Facing challenges bravely
• America's role / mission on the international scene

Communicative purposes:

1. Restoring the "ideological

normality" after the electoral strife/construction of the presidential identity --> the President elect becomes the President of ALL Americans (not only of those who voted for him)

How:

• Exploiting national patriotism
• Connecting the new president to great predecessors

1. Accepting of the President's new official identity
• He/she speaks not for himself/herself but for his/her people
• He/she invokes the notion of 'public presidency' --> it is the institution speaking, not the man
• How:
• Style reserved for majestic moments
• Lexicon borrowed from predecessors
• Calling others to action

Rhetorical moves:

• Thanking the predecessors
• Constructing the presidential identity
• Accepting new official role
• Making reference to religion
• Mentioning great presidents of the past

BILL CLINTON'S FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS - January 21, 1993

4 years before Tony Blair was elected: the New Left was a movement that brought together many groups

Reference

to history and to specific presidents

• Keyword: CHANGE
• What characterized the founding fathers
• It is written in the Declaration of Independence

He asserts indirectly that Bush (his predecessor) was not able to pursuit this ideal of change and of happiness --> he presents himself as the man who's capable and willing to bring positive change

"Spring" : idea of RENEWAL, rebirth

• Metaphor: season in which nature is renovating again
• Religious meaning: Christianity celebrates Easter in Spring
• He speaks of the forcing of the spring --> it HAS to occur, Americans have to commit to change, change is the only way to be true to the American values

"my fellow citizens" : to highlight that he is like them, one of them

Strange and unexpected collocations: "mystery of American renewal"

"Sunshine of freedom" metaphor: freedom = both light and warmth

He uses the verdictive function to express judgements

"technology is magical" : importance of the role of technology --> it doesn't seem to be linked to scientific development

You can either accept or refuse change: CHANGE IS INEVITABLE

Political approach to corporations without mentioning Bush

Work: important value of America

• To Work = to be successful
• Americans are hard workers
• Pilgrim fathers were hard workers => that's why the working ethic is so important in America

Directive function: the sender wants either to get the receiver to do something or to change the receiver's mind

• Use of imperatives
• Modal verbs

Commissive function: the author commits himself to do something

• Performative verbs
• Modals expressing commitment
• Let us

Journey metaphor (one of the main discursive features used): connected with the idea of the exceptionalism of America--> Only the ones chosen by God would survive the journey

Once the case for change has been made, Clinton moves on to list

what must be changed

● Strategic reference to Roosevelt: he became President in a historical period of economic hardship and recession (Black Friday) and was able to change things dramatically and help his population (the New Deal)--> "heir" to Roosevelt

● Phatic function: attract the attention of the audience and catch the people's interest in order to make them listen

○ How: addressing directly to the American population "my fellow citizens" + heavy use of the pronoun we to create an equal-to-equal social relationship

● Representative function: used to present facts about the world, I.e. the sender tires to make his words match the world. Representatives are objective statements about the world, which can be verified as true or false.

○ He offers reports on history with use of common historic references which appeal to the American people.

○ He creates common ground and solidarity by combining past and present.

● Expressive function: the sender's

attitude shines through. Characterized by being subjective (personal opinions).

• Verdictive function: evaluate and relay judgement.
• Clinton gives his evaluation of the current state of affairs.
• Poetic function: focus on the relation between form and content
• How: through the lexical level (unusual collocations and metaphors) and the phonological level (rhyme, rhythm scheme and alliteration)
• ALLITERATION: appearance of the same sound or sounds at the beginning of two or more words that are next to or close to each other => to create musicality and a certain rhythm in the text and add a poetic element to it
• BALANCED SENTENCES or CONTRASTING PAIR: 2 or more fairly balanced parts which are often contrasted
• "not change for change's sake, but change to preserve America's ideals", "our democracy must be not only the envy of the world, but the engine to our own renewal", "it will not be easy; it will require sacrifice. But it can be done"

1. Collocations: unusual in order to attract attention, to highlight the meaning of the message, to make the text interesting to listen to
2. The text act: the overall communicative function of Clinton's speech
• Directive: he wishes to appeal to the people to acknowledge their responsibility towards their country, and to take part in the work of improving the state of affairs in America.
• Commissive: he wishes to commit the American people and himself to the task of changing the American society.
3. Vocabulary:
• Steadfastness: strength of character
• Plagues: afflictions
• Swear / take an oath: declare under oath
• Pillars: source of strength, columns
• Muster: to gather as much as you can in order to do something
• Abide by (a law): to behave according to law/rules/codes

intends to do

Problem: war, economic crisis, homes lost, jobs shed...Betrayal of the American promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness

Solution: "reaffirm our enduring spirit, to choose our better history, to carry forward that special gift..." "remain faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents"

Ethic of work and sacrifice (= Clinton, Bush)

Continuity among generations (Clinton) and spirit of sacrifice for the sake of the future generations

Again, metaphor of the journey

Referential + verdictive function

Persuasion based on the