Analytical essay: Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention 2020
Political speeches are often used to convince people, especially during an election. The speaker must seem trustworthy, but also make the audience feel that the topic is important. This is what Michelle Obama tries to do in her speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2020. The speech was held during a difficult time in the United States, where the country was affected by COVID-19, political division and racism. In the speech, Michelle Obama argues that Donald Trump is not the right president for the country, and that Americans should vote for Joe Biden. This essay will analyze the speech with focus on the rhetorical situation, the language, the modes of appeal and the argumentation. Finally, it will assess whether Michelle Obama is successful in communicating her message.
Firstly, it is important to look at the rhetorical situation. Michelle Obama is the sender of the speech, and she is not just a normal politician. She is the former First Lady of the United States, which already gives her a strong position. The audience is mainly American voters, especially Democrats, undecided voters and people who may not feel motivated to vote. She’s mainly targeting them because she’s a Democrat herself, and she wants to convince those who are undecided and those who don’t bother to vote, because those are important votes. The genre is a political speech, and the purpose is clearly to convince the audience. She wants people to see Donald Trump as a bad leader and Joe Biden as a better choice. Because the speech is part of the Democratic National Convention, it is also expected that it is biased. She is not trying to be neutral, but to support one side in the election.
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