THE PATTERN OF AMERICAN RHETORIC ON THE SPIRIT OF MISSION: AN ANALYSIS ON THE TEXT OF BUSHS INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Mister Gidion Maru

doi:10.24167/celt.v16i1.483

Abstract

As a textual study, this research paper aims at elaborating the rhetorical patterns in the American mind by examining the inaugural addresses George W Bush particularly on the spirit of mission. The study on this topic becomes urgent to be discussed in relation to the importance of understanding a rhetoric pattern in terms of developing teaching material for cross cultural awareness and language skills. The choosing of the presidents inaugural address as the mental evidences is not apart from the synthesis that they represents a formal speech which covers the socio-cultural aspects and they will bring a certain pattern of rhetoric in their attempt to communicate with public. For the purpose of achieving the aim of this research, the library research is carried out by applying Goffman?s Frame Analysis. The results show that the president constructs a certain pattern of rhetoric by using the Puritan expressions particularly for engaging American people with the spirit of mission. The rhetoric patterns are found to convey the national and world mission. The expressions used in the inaugural addresses seem to meet with peoples expectations as a new presidency is begun

Highlights

The inaugural speech serves as the first presidential formal speech before his public which is most possibly constructed to adopt the values living in the country
Rohler and Roger Cook describe presidential inaugural speeches in their book Great Speeches (1986): At moments like these, speakers speech audiences about the values that both share as members of a common group, the speeches given in such moments are noncontroversial for a specific audiences
This study aims at identifying the contemporary concept of the spirit of mission and defining the American mind as reflected in the President Bush‟s inaugural speeches

Summary

Introduction

The inaugural speech serves as the first presidential formal speech before his public which is most possibly constructed to adopt the values living in the country. Grounding upon this perspective, it is not excessive to assume that the aroma of cultural life and perspectives of the American can be detected from the inaugural speech. Rohler and Roger Cook describe presidential inaugural speeches in their book Great Speeches (1986): At moments like these, speakers speech audiences about the values that both share as members of a common group, the speeches given in such moments are noncontroversial for a specific audiences. They do not urge adoption of new values or rejection of old values They do not urge adoption of new values or rejection of old values (p. 18)

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