Background Introduction
Speech, as a kind of art, owns its special charm especially in today’s political life.According to Lucas (2004) , speeches can be divided into 3 parts:informative, persuasive and ceremonial speech.As for Obama’s victory speech, it’s a persuasive one.The purpose of it is to change people’s mind or behavior on something.
In December 21st 2012, Obama won the victory again and became the 56th president of America.He wins people’s attention not only because he is a black president, but because of his charmful speeches.It also opens a new field, for example, Xiang Dajun (2009) analysis Obama’s victory speech from the point of pragmatics;Yang Nazhi (2010) explores the meaning of deixis in interrelationships;This paper is writing from the perspective of pragmatics to analyze the use of empathy and deixis in Obama’s victory speech of 2012.
The original exploration of empathy is in aesthetics in Germany.First it means interaction of emotion.Now it has more relationships with psychology, linguistics, etc.and attracts more linguists’attention.From the point of psychology, empathy is the relational emotional experience produced by feeling emotions.Japanese linguist Kuno[2]first introduced empathy into linguistics.In his opinion, empathy means intimating degree of the relationship between the described things and speaker interfered.
He Ziran first introduced empathy into pragmatics in China[8].He defines“in pragmatics empathy means the understanding between communicator, and they can image and understand each other”.Thus, it is a problem of Paralinguistic but something about social pragmatics, because it relates to how speakers can express their minds to audience, and how listeners put themselves in speakers’position.Also, social pragmatics involves background information of society, culture and interpersonal relationships.This kind of empathy mainly means both communicators can respect each others’emotion and put themselves in the opposite side, so that they can gain their expected effects (He Ziran, 1991) [10].Ran Yongping (1997) [10]thinks most interpersonal communications in most contexts ask people to consider questions from the opposite side of view or to understand or satisfy each others’demands.
On essence, the basic aim of empathy is to realize a closer relationship and emotion between both speaker and listener, so that they can shorten the distance between their minds, to build a harmonious relationship.
Personal deixis also refer to personal pronouns.According to Connor (2004) [3], personal deixis especially the first and the second person deixis, can be used to express interpersonal interaction and level of involvement of different people respectively.Alastair Pennycook (1994) [7]once said the deixis in political speech are complex, especially when exploring what they are referring to.For example, in Obama’s victory speech, he uses“we”a lot.It stands for all American people, or the audience on the scene.However, speakers will not express clearly what does this“we”refers to generally.What’s more, the exploration of“I”or“we”in political speech can help us get a better understanding of speakers’aims of the speech.He Ziran puts forward that person deixis mean the name people call each other when communicating with others.[9]Lyons in his book Semantics put forward the core of deixis is not always the core of speakers, sometimes it can be changed.For example, the core of deixis can be listeners, or even it can be nonspeakers and non listeners.[6]
Ran Yongping thinks that the view of choosing personal deixis must infer expression, etc.Empathy of personal deixis mainly reflects that speakers and listeners can decode language, so that it can benefit listeners.[10]The appropriate use of deixis, especially when listeners’face is threatened, can shorten the mental distance between speakers and listeners;or make them become more intimate.[9]
In Obama’s victory speech, the appearance of“we”has a high rate.The total number of“we”in this speech is 52.Biber (2009:329) [1]infers that in pragmatics, deixis“we”can be used in two kinds, they are:inclusive-we, which means audience are included;and exclusive-we, which audience are excluded.The aim of this speech is to persuade others to believe Obama himself and his government.He, as a new president, has a great distance and disparity with his audience.In order to avoid a larger disparity, he uses more“we”to shorten his distance with his audience or even all the American people including those who have opposite opinion with him.For one thing, it can shorten the distance, and unite all people, black, white or yellow;for the other, it can help save the face of those people who are in inferior positions.Levinson call this phenomenon Positive Politeness Strategy.[4]This kind of empathy is more effective and friendly than“you”, the use of“we”can be more persuasive.Let’s look at the following sentences,
That’s why we do this.That’s what politics can be.That’s why elections matter...We have our own opinions.Each of us has deeply held beliefs.And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country…
In this case, all these“we”s are inclusive-we.That is to say that Obama, all audience and all American people are included.Form the point of psychology, the more attention speakers pay to the listeners, the easier it will be for them to get closer, so that listeners can fuse themselves with speakers.It has a another function, which means it can makes every American feel that they are true owners of this country;so that when the Obama government seeks help all those people will be its firm supporters.
We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future.From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service and that is the legacy that we honor and applaud tonight…Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.
In this case, there are 5“we”in total.They all refer to Obama and Romney.Though they belong to two parties, the“we”s can unit them together and make them a whole unity.First, it can help Obama gain more support, for those who are loyal to Romney may turn to support Obama.Second, it can help Obama get more followers in his new cabinet and eliminate more blocks.
There is no doubt that, all“I”in this speech refer to Obama himself.The use of“I”can make people think more about the speaker.However, in such political speech, the speaker should avoid“I”as many as possible.It is easily to make people feel that he is too subjective.But it can make audience feel the speaker is competent and persuasive.Here are some examples,
And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you…I return to the White House more determined and more inspired…
From this paragraph, there are four“I”s in total.They all refer to Obama himself.First, it means Obama wants to tell the whole world he is back again, and the owner of white house again.Second, he is going to take measures to keep his promises he once made to America.Last, by using deixis, Obama has a great chance to put his theory and reform into his speech, so that he can gain more support from his people.
I’ve never been more hopeful about our future.I have never been more hopeful aboutAmerica.And I ask you to sustain that hope.I’m not talking about blind optimism…I’m not talking about the wishful idealism...
From example 2, Obama says these words to his people.He says that he is optimistic to his people and his country;he has enough enthusiasm to do more contribution to his country.It can leave the American people an impression that he is not only a president, but a listener to all.When he refers to his attitude towards his people and the future of America, he uses“I”.It is easy to attract people’s attention that he is a man who wishes to do all his best to serve the USA.
Publicpoliticalspeechcompetenceisaspecial communicative ability.During this process, speakers should treat his or her audience as the core of it.What‘s more, as a speaker, he should communicate with audience.That is the most important feature of empathy.In Obama’s victory speech, he uses many skills to realize empathy.The most common one is the use of deixis“we”to tell the whole audience and whole American people that they are an unity.As a president, Obama has his own glamour and personality, and his ability of speech is one powerful way of helping to get success.
It can be concluded that Obama uses many“I”s when the things he refers to are about people’s vital interests.In such cases, it can makes people have a closer relationship with him;it can also make people that their relationship with the president is like father like son.By using empathy, Obama attractive more people’s attention, and shorten the distance with his audience to realize its purpose of communication and social contact.
摘要：With the development of society, the criteria of selecting people in terms of their social communicative competence is increasingly high.It has even become an important one in selecting talents in many fields.Speech, especially English speech, because of its unique function in mass communication, is attracting more and more people’s attention.However, the study of speech skills is not deeply studied by scholars domestic.In this thesis, the subject of this study is Barack Hussein Obama’s victory speech which was made in 2012 in Chicago when he won the president election.It is clarified from two aspects.First, the function of deixis of“I”and“we”in his speech, second, from the point of empathy to list how they can be functioned in speech.It agrees that the above speech skills can help Obama make his speech more persuasive and attractive, and at the same time others can also benefit from it.
[1] Biber D.et al.Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English[M].Beijing Foreign Laguage Teaching and Researching Press, 2000.
[2] Kuno, S.Functional Syntax:Anaphora–Discourse and Empathy[M].Chicago:The University of Chicago Press, 1987.
[3] Connor, Upton.Discourse in the professions[J].2004:310-311.
[4] Levinson S C.Pragmatics[M].Cambridge:Cambridge University Press, 1983.
[5] Levinson S.C.&Penelope B..Politeness:Some Universals in Language Use[M].Cambridge University Press, 1978:124.
[6] Lyons.Semantics[M].London:Cambrideg University Press, 1977.
[7] Pennycook A.The politics of pronouns[J].ELT Journal, 1994, 48 (2) :173-178.
[8] 何自然.语交际中的语用移情[J].外语教学与研究, 1991, (4) :11-15.
[9] 何自然.语用学概论[M].长沙:湖南教育出版社, 1988:26.
[10] 冉永平.指示语选择的语用视点、语用移情于离情[J].北京:外语教学与研究, 2007, (9) :331-337.
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