In-Class assignment, Fri., 28th: Speech

Dear all,

This is a model of how to apply the "FIVE MOVES" we learned about in chapter 1 to a SPEECH. Since this was homework for today, you will already be well prepared -- otherwise, you can make it up from scratch, just like I did ;-)

STEP 1:
Select any speech from http://www.americanrhetoric.com/.

STEP 2:
Look at my example below of J.F.K.'s speech, "Ich bin ein Berliner." (read the original first)

STEP 3:
Create a new blog thread by signing into the blog, and clicking on NEW POST. Type in the title of the speech you have chosen, and hyperlink this title to the website where you got it from. This way, your peers can click on it and see the speech before reading your short analysis. Give a brief summary first. Then, list the 5 MOVES, and type a short comment for each move (there might be less than five moves in your speech, which is ok). USE A DIFFERENT COLOR FOR CITATIONS, PLEASE!

EXAMPLE:

Short summary of speech:
Kennedy's main point in his speech of 1963 in the German capital is to praise the West Germans for their achievements of 18 years of peace and economic strife, and to assure them that he and the American people are not in favor of the Berlin Wall which separates not only a country but also families. He hopes that one day, Germany will be given the right to be free and reunited, and he as a free man uses a "pars pro toto" (= rhetorical figure, Latin, meaning "one stands for all"), "All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin." His famous final words, "Ich bin ein Berliner," express that he can put himself in the role of the Germans, and that he associates himself with them.

Move 1: Suspend Judgment
Kennedy does not accuse the Germans of having started World War II, and does not belittle them for having lost that war. Instead, he does not judge them at all, but gives them positive feedback about their achievements, and assures them of his compassion and loyalty.

Move 2: Define Significant Parts & How They're Related
Kennedy relates the failure of Communism to the success of the West German democracy. He also relates the building of a wall to a violation of the basic human right of freedom. He sees himself as an ally of the victims (he is a Berliner, too).

Move 3: Make the Implicit Explicit
An implicit statement could be that America is against the Wall, but the Russians were for it. Further, democratic America's dislike of Communism is implicit in the whole speech, as can be seen in statements such as, "While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Communist system -- for all the world to see -- we take no satisfaction in it." This makes the Americans very popular in the eyes of West Germans, and it makes the Russians look bad (time of the Cold War...).

Move 4: Look for Patterns

Pattern of binary opposition:
In this statement, "Two thousand years ago -- Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was "civis Romanus sum.' Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is 'Ich bin ein Berliner."," Kennedy compares two different times -- the ancient Roman empire, and the Federal Republic of Germany after WWII. More precisely, he compares the metropolis Rome, the capital of Italy, with Berlin, the capital of Germany. This statement must have made the Germans very proud. After all, the Roman empire lasted for a long time, and Caesar was a famous warrior and politician. West Germany's peace has only lasted 18 years so far since WWII...

Pattern of repetition: Kennedy begins several sentences with, "there are some who say," to point out how many people have misconceptions about Germany, and do not know how to face Communism. His ever-occurring repetition is, "Let them come to Berlin." One time, he even says it in German, to show how much he cares about Germany, using the native language while visiting that country.

Pattern of rhetorical figures: Metaphors, antitheses, and similes
Kennedy is spicing up his speech with metaphors, such as "you live in a defended island of freedom, but your life is part of the main," and similes (e.g., Rome vs. Berlin) to give importance to the achievements of the West German democracy, and to state the injustice of having separated this country by a wall.

Move 5: Keep Formulating Questions & Explanations
What can America do to help the Germans reunite?
What can the American people do to help establish freedom, peace, and democracy in the world?
What other countries have been divided (North/South Korea,...), what other "borders" or "walls" exist (Mexico, Gaza,...)?
Can we still relate to Kennedy's speech in our times today?