Analyse af Barack Obamas tale 'Back to school'

Life can be hard. Everyone struggles with their own everyday difficulties. Of course, some people deal with problems that are worse than others, but difficulties are a part of life, and everybody has to deal with them at some point or another. It’s not always easy waking up in the morning, knowing you have a long day ahead of you. However, doing well in life and achieving great success, doesn’t only mean you have to do well in tests, achieve good grades or get into the best universities. A big part of doing well is dealing with your personal difficulties, and overcoming them. This and the importance of an education are some of the main topics in the speech “Back to school” by Barack Obama from 2009. It is about engaging and motivating young students to put in hard work, do well in school and through that exact education, take place in making their country a better place.

Obama begins the speech by addressing the audience casually and informal, which gives us an idea of a relaxed environment, even though he is speaking to a lot of people which can seem terrifying at times. On top of that, as we dig further into the speech, Obama makes use of many comparisons, while sympathizing with the audience, enforcing the feeling of a relaxed environment. On the other hand, Obama also addresses the audience as the future of America, appealing emotions such as patriotism or nationalism. In addition to this, Obama makes frequent use of anaphors and rhetorical repetitions, to enforce and clarify his points in addition to some of the values he advocates. The large use of these exact tools of rhetoric, can have something to do with the audience he is addressing, especially their age. Nonetheless, repeating your points and appealing to the audience’s emotions in such a large group of young students, has to effectively waken some sort of patriotic feeling, enforcing his points, while similarly motivating the audience. Some of these values are hard work and dedication. He mentions how it’s our own responsibility as school students, to seek past our personal difficulties, put in hard work, and put in our best effort to succeed at school and get an education. By achieving an education, you won’t only be able to make an economic and personal success, you will also be able to contribute to your country with your new developed set of skills, that you have acquired through a longer process, studying in the educational system. Nevertheless, quitting on your education means quitting on your nation.