VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATES STUDIES NGÔ THỊ MAI HẠNH A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAREWELL ADDRESS ( Phân tích diễn ngơn phê phán phát biểu chia tay Barack Obama) M.A MINOR THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 822020101 Hanoi, 2019 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I certify my authority of the study entitled ―A critical discourse analysis of Barack Obama’s farewell address” submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master in English language Except where the reference is indicated, I have not used other person‘s work without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis Hanoi, 2019 Ngô Thị Mai Hạnh Approved by SUPERVISOR Assoc Prof Ngơ Hữu Hồng Date: ………… i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to give my warmest thanks to many people but the first person is my supervisor, Assoc Prof Ngô Hữu Hoàng Not only does he give me great advice, invaluable suggestions but also critical comments for my better version I want to express deepest gratitude to my family and friends for their emotional support in accomplishing this graduation thesis Hanoi, 2019 Ngô Thị Mai Hạnh ii ABSTRACT The thesis aims at exploring how power and ideology are manifested through the analysis of the U.S President Barack Obama‗s farewell address in 2017 using one of the discourse analysis approaches –critical discourse analysis (CDA) The research examines the theoretical framework of CDA, the concepts of power and ideology Accordingly, the framework of CDA procedure which is of great importance for the analysis of the farewell address will be analyzed and interpreted The analysis consists of three stages namely: description, interpretation and explanation By description, vocabulary, grammar feature including: the use of personal pronoun, the use of voice, mode of sentence, modality and cohesive devices are analyzed By interpretation, situational context, inter-textual context and the President‘s call to believe in nation‘s democracy and system; and the President‘s call to foster solidarity and union are analyzed By explanation, the relationship between discourse and America‘s institution and social structure are explored Lastly, the finding and conclusion of the thesis prove the author‘s assumption about the ideological power relations in the speech iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CDA Critical Discourse Analysis CL Critical Language DA Discourse Analysis US United States MR Member resources App Appendix iv LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES LIST OF FIGURES Figure The triangle of discourse analysis: language, practice and context Figure Three dimensional framework proposed by Fairclough (1992) Figure Interpretation Figure Explanation LIST OF TABLES Table The occurrence of synonyms in the speech Table The occurrence of formal words in the speech Table The occurrence of personal pronoun in the speech Table Number and percentage of active and passive sentences in the speech Table The words with high frequency of using throughout the farewell address by Barack Obama Table Summary of the findings v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Rationale Aims of the research Significance of the research .2 Scope of the research .2 Methodology of the research Structure of the thesis CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Previous studies .4 2.2 Theoretical background 2.2.1 A brief introduction on CDA 2.2.2 DA and CDA CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 12 3.1 Reason to choose the speech 12 3.2 Data collection techniques 12 3.3 Data analysis procedure 12 3.4 Fairclough’s CDA framework 13 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 18 4.1 Textual analysis 18 4.2 Analysis in terms of vocabulary 19 4.3 Analysis in terms of grammar features 24 4.3.1 The use of personal pronoun 24 4.3.2 The use of voice 27 4.3.3 Mode of sentence 29 4.3.4 Modality 30 4.3.5 Cohesive devices 32 4.4 Interpretation process 35 4.4.1 Situational context 35 4.4.2 Intertextual context 36 4.4.3 The President’s call to believe in nation’s democracy and system 38 4.4.4 The President’s call to foster solidarity and union 40 4.5 Explanation 45 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 43 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Recapitulation 43 Concluding remarks 43 Limitations of the research 45 Recommendations for further study 46 REFERENCES 47 vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is an approach to study language which is different from discourse analysis (DA) CDA explores the relationship among language, ideology and power In this thesis, CDA is an important tool to find out how effective language can be in expressing Obama‘s ideas or ideology Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on November 3, 2008 After defeating the other presidential candidates, he became the first African American president in American story He was a powerful person of high position holding the office He took office at the worst moment of Americathe Great Depression happened At that time, America was on the verge of crisis ―a nation at war, a planet in peril, the American Dream itself threatened‖ However, under a visionary leadership of the U.S President Barack Obama, America was rescued from crisis and a stronger economy, a more equal society, a more secure nation was gradually stabilized After serving two terms in the White House, Obama left office and returned to his home town to give his presidential farewell speech Through his 50-minute speech, Barack Obama delivers a call to action as well as a subtle warning: the last major political rally of his career As an excellent politician, he has a great awareness of how language plays a significant role in any discourse Therefore, in his political speech, each word, each structure is carefully chosen as function of ideological communicative implication Having a close look at his speech, it is obviously seen that the President Obama strategically produces the discourse just days before the inauguration of his successor with a view to show his ideologies and implications He takes advantage of vocabularies, lexical, arguments and many other features of discourse structure in his speech He is the person who understands the power of language more than anyone else Especially, his farewell address on January 10, 2017 shows his power and ideology as he delivers his final public speech from a stage in his hometown of Chicago after the myriad accomplishments of his two-term presidency For the above reasons, the author carries out the research entitled ―A critical discourse analysis of Barack Obama’s farewell address” 1.2 Aims of the research The research examines not only linguistics strategies but also the President‘s ideologies and power The study aims at presenting an analysis of the U.S President Barack Obama‘s farewell address under the light of critical discourse analysis Based on the theory of critical discourse analysis, some linguistic features of the speech are pointed out In doing CDA of his speech, the author intends to answer the following question: - What linguistic features does Barack Obama use to express his ideology in his farewell address? 1.3 Significance of the research Regarding the theoretical significance, this study has not only attracted the interests of political scientists and historians, but also drawn much attention from linguists Linguists who carry out research on this field will take advantage of considerable knowledge of the concepts of critical discourse analysis and raise the awareness of how power and ideology are embedded in language in particular and the relation between language and society in general Regarding practical significance, as a graduate of English language, the thesis is of great importance for me It helps me understand more about English language and then enhance my professional development Besides, I can gain much knowledge not only about language but also America‘s culture, society and politics Therefore, I have great understanding about America I hope that my thesis make contribution to CDA approach in particular and English studying in general 1.4 Scope of the research This research is a case study Because scope of the research is limited, I only analyze one speech of Obama and apply Fairclough‘s approach instead of going deeply in functional grammar of Halliday Based on Fairclough‘s theory of CDA, I focus on three stages: description, interpretation and explanation In descriptive process, I would like to point out vocabulary, grammar features including the use of personal pronoun, the use of voice, mode of sentence, modality and cohesive devices In the second stageinterpretation, I go into detail these features above and analyze situational context and intertextual context And the last process is explanation 1.5 Methodology of the research This study applies a discourse analysis in which one of the most comprehensive frameworks of CDA, that is, Fairclough‘s qualitative approach is used It involves three levels of discourse analysis: description, interpretation and explanation This framework is presented more clearly in 3.4 Fairclough’s CDA framework 1.6 Structure of the thesis The study is divided into chapters as follow: - Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION includes rationale, aims, specific objectives, scope and significance of the study - Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW presents previous studies on critical discourse analysis of the President Barack Obama‘s speech This chapter also introduces theoretical background that being in charge of the theories used in the study including the definition of DA and CDA, key concepts in critical discourse analysis, discourse and power - Chapter 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY mentions the reasons to choose the topic, data collection techniques, data analysis procedure and Fairclough‘s CDA framework - Chapter 4: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF BARACK OBAMA‘S FAREWELL ADDRESS shows the result of the study The analysis of data and the findings are also indicated in this chapter - Chapter 5: CONCLUSION summarizes main findings and providing concluding remarks, limitations of the current research as well as suggestions for further study 338 And that's why I leave this stage tonight even more optimistic about this country 339 than when we started Because I know our work has not only helped so many 340 Americans, it has inspired so many Americans — especially so many young people 341 out there — to believe that you can make a difference— to hitch your wagon to 342 something bigger than yourselves 343 Let me tell you, this generation coming up — unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic 344 — I've seen you in every corner of the country You believe in a fair, and just, and 345 inclusive America You know that constant change has been America's hallmark; 346 that it's not something to fear but something to embrace You are willing to carry 347 this hard work of democracy forward You'll soon outnumber all of us, and I believe 348 as a result the future is in good hands 349 My fellow Americans, it has been the honor of my life to serve you I won't stop In 350 fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my remaining days But for 351 now, whether you are young or whether you're young at heart, I have one final 352 ask of you as your President — the same thing I asked when you took a chance on 353 me eight years ago I'm asking you to believe Not in my ability to bring about 354 change — but in yours 355 I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that 356 idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and 357 homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those 358 who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the 359 core of every American whose story is not yet written: Yes, we can 360 Yes, we did Yes, we can 361 Thank you God bless you May God continue to bless the United States of 362 America 12 APPENDIX 2: PASSIVE CLAUSES AND FREQUENCY OF MODALITY FOUND IN THE SPEECH It's the conviction that we are all created equal… (line 20-21) And why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs, as well (line 33-34) …but the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion (line 39-40) …but that potential will only be realized if our democracy works (line 60-61) …too many families, in inner cities and in rural counties, have been left behind (line 91-92) …the game is fixed against them… ( line 94) …that's made their very success possible (line 105) …If every economic issue is framed (line 115-116) For native-born Americans, it means reminding ourselves that the stereotypes about immigrants today were said, almost word for word, about the Irish, and Italians, and Poles — who it was said (line 144-146) America wasn't weakened… (line 147) …this nation was strengthened (line 148) That's how our democracy was designed (line 163) That order is now being challenged (line 193) ISIL will be destroyed… (line 208) …our own freedoms will eventually be threatened (line 227) Our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted (line 233-234) …But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured (line 248-249) …Americans with whom we disagree are seen… (line 258) If you're disappointed by… (line 270) And more often than not, your faith in America — and in Americans — will be confirmed (line 275-276) …faith has been rewarded… (line 286) …a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written… ( line 336337) 13 FREQUENCY OF MODALITY Modality Frequency of using Will 19 times: line 52, 60, 73, 74, 84, 99, 108, 119, 120, 208, 209, 227, 227, 252, 273 (2), 276, 316, 329 Must times: 127, 213, 214 Can 15 times: 3, 24, 56, 82, 106, 113, 169, 181, 205, 212, 273, 275, 320, 337, 338 May times: 126, 222, 339 Could times: 286, 315 Would times: 42, 44, 46, 54 Might times: 48, 166, 188 Should times: 60, 97, 181, 234, 236, 237, 239, 253 14 APPENDIX 3: SPEECH BEFORE OBAMA’S FAREWELL ADDRESS President Barack Obama’s democratic National Convention Speech Thank you, everybody Thank you I love you back Hello, America Hello Democrats So, 12 years ago, tonight, I addressed this convention for the very first time You met my two little girls, Malia and Sasha, now two amazing young women who just fill me with pride You fell for my brilliant wife and partner, Michelle, who has made me a better father and a better man, who's gone on to inspire our nation as first lady And who somehow hasn't aged a day I know, the same cannot be said for me My girls remind me all the time Wow, you‘ve changed so much, daddy And then they try to clean it up Not bad, just more mature And, and it's true I was so young that first time in Boston And look, I'll admit it, maybe I was a little nervous Addressing such a big crowd But I was filled with faith Faith in America The generous, big-hearted, hopeful country that made my story, that made all of our stories possible A lot's happened over the years And while this nation has been tested by war, and it's been tested by recession, and all manner of challenges, I stand before you again tonight after almost two terms as your president to tell you I am more optimistic about the future of America than ever before How could I not be? After all that we've achieved together After the worst recession in 80 years, we fought our way back We've seen deficits come down, 401ks recover, auto industry set new records, unemployment reach eight-year lows and our businesses create 15 million new jobs After a century of trying, we declared that health care in America is not a privilege for a few, it is a right for everybody After decades of talk, we finally began to wean ourselves off foreign oil We doubled our production of clean energy We brought more of our troops home to their families And we delivered justice to Osama bin Laden Through diplomacy we shut down Iran's nuclear weapons program, we opened up a new chapter with the people of Cuba, brought nearly 200 nations together around a climate agreement that could save this planet for our children We put policies in place to help students with loans; protect consumers from fraud; and cut veteran homelessness almost in half And through countless acts of quiet courage, America learned that love has no limits, and marriage equality is now a reality across the land By so many measures, our country is stronger and more prosperous than it was when we started And through every victory and every setback, I‘ve insisted that change is never easy, and never quick; that we wouldn‘t meet all of our challenges in one term, or one presidency, or even in one lifetime So tonight, I‘m here to tell you that yes, we still got work to More work to for every American still in need of a good job 15 or a raise, paid leave or a decent retirement; for every child who needs a sturdier ladder out of poverty or a world-class education; for everyone who hasn‘t yet felt the progress of these past seven and a half years We need to keep making our streets safer and our criminal justice system fairer; our homeland more secure, our world more peaceful and sustainable for the next generation We‘re not done perfecting our union, or living up to our founding creed – that all of us are created equal, all of us are free in the eyes of God That work involves a big choice this November It‘s fair to say, this is not your typical election It‘s not just a choice between parties or policies; the usual debates between left and right This is a more fundamental choice – about who we are as a people, and whether we stay true to this great American experiment in selfgovernment Look, we Democrats have always had plenty of differences with the Republican Party, and there‘s nothing wrong with that; it‘s precisely this contest of ideas that pushes our country forward But what we heard in Cleveland last week wasn‘t particularly Republican – and it sure wasn‘t conservative What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other, and turn away from the rest of the world There were no serious solutions to pressing problems – just the fanning of resentment, and blame, and anger, and hate And that is not the America I know The America I know is full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity The America I know is decent and generous Sure, we have real anxieties – about paying the bills, and protecting our kids, caring for a sick parent We get frustrated with political gridlock, and worry about racial divisions; we are shocked and saddened by the madness of Orlando or Nice There are pockets of America that never recovered from factory closures; men who took pride in hard work and providing for their families who now feel forgotten; parents who wonder whether their kids will have the same opportunities that we had All of that is real We are challenged to better; to be better But as I‘ve traveled this country, through all fifty states; as I‘ve rejoiced with you and mourned with you, what I‘ve also seen, more than anything, is what is right with America I see people working hard and starting businesses; I see people teaching kids and serving our country I see engineers inventing stuff, doctors coming up with new cures I see a younger generation full of energy and new ideas, not constrained by what is, ready to seize what ought to be And most of all, I see Americans of every party, every background, every faith who believe that we are stronger together – black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American; young, old; gay, straight, men, women, folks with disabilities, all pledging allegiance, under the same proud flag, to this big, bold country that we love That‘s what I see 16 That‘s the America I know And there is only one candidate in this race who believes in that future, and has devoted her life to that future, a mother and grandmother who‘d anything to help our children thrive; a leader with real plans to break down barriers, blast through glass ceilings, and widen the circle of opportunity to every single American – the next President of the United States, Hillary Clinton That‘s right Let me tell you, eight years ago, Hillary and I were rivals for the Democratic nomination We battled for a year and a half Let me tell you, it was tough, because Hillary‘s tough I was worn out She was doing everything I was doing, but just like Ginger Rogers, it was backwards in heels And every time I thought I might have that race won, Hillary just came back stronger But after it was all over, I asked Hillary to join my team She was a little surprised, some of my staff was surprised, but ultimately she said yes – because she knew that what was at stake was bigger than either of us And for four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment, and her discipline I came to realize that her unbelievable work ethic wasn‘t for praise or attention – that she was in this for everyone who needs a champion I understood that after all these years, she has never forgotten just who she‘s fighting for Hillary‘s still got the tenacity she had as a young woman working at the Children‘s Defense Fund, going door to door to ultimately make sure kids with disabilities could get a quality education She‘s still got the heart she showed as our First Lady, working with Congress to help push through a Children‘s Health Insurance Program that to this day protects millions of kids She‘s still seared with the memory of every American she met who lost loved ones on 9/11, which is why, as a Senator from New York, she fought so hard for funding to help first responders to help the city rebuild; why, as Secretary of State, she sat with me in the Situation Room and forcefully argued in favor of the mission that took out bin Laden You know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office You can read about it, you can study it But until you‘ve sat at that desk, you don‘t know what it‘s like to manage a global crisis, or send young people to war But Hillary‘s been in the room; she‘s been part of those decisions She knows what‘s at stake in the decisions our government makes, what‘s at stake for the working family, for the senior citizen, or the small business owner, for the soldier, for the veteran And even in the middle of crisis, she listens to people, and keeps her cool, and treats everybody with respect And no matter how daunting the odds; no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits That‘s the Hillary I know That‘s the Hillary I‘ve come to admire And that‘s why I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman, not me, not Bill, 17 nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as President of the United States of America I hope you don‘t mind, Bill, but I was just telling the truth, man And, by the way, in case you were wondering about her judgment, look at her choice of running mate Tim Kaine is as good a man, as humble and committed a public servant, as anybody that I know I know his family, I love Anne, I love their kids He will be a great Vice President He will make Hillary a better President Just like my dear friend and brother Joe Biden has made me a better President Now, Hillary has real plans to address the concerns she‘s heard from you on the campaign trail She‘s got specific ideas to invest in new jobs, to help workers share in their company‘s profits, to help put kids in preschool, and put students through college without taking on a ton of debt That‘s what leaders do.And then there‘s Donald Trump Don‘t boo, vote The Donald is not really a plans guy He‘s not really a facts guy, either He calls himself a business guy, which is true, but I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and women who‘ve achieved remarkable success without leaving a trail of lawsuits, and unpaid workers, and people feeling like they got cheated Does anyone really believe that a guy who‘s spent his 70 years on this Earth showing no regard for working people is suddenly going to be your champion? Your voice? If so, you should vote for him But if you‘re someone who‘s truly concerned about paying your bills, if you‘re really concerned about pocketbook issues and seeing the economy grow, and creating more opportunity for everybody, then the choice isn‘t even close If you want someone with a lifelong track record of fighting for higher wages, and better benefits, and a fairer tax code, and a bigger voice for workers, and stronger regulations on Wall Street, then you should vote for Hillary Clinton And if you‘re rightly concerned about who‘s going to keep you and your family safe in a dangerous world – well, the choice is even clearer Hillary Clinton is respected around the world not just by leaders, but by the people they serve I have to say this, people outside of the United States not understand what‘s going on in this election They really don‘t Because they know Hillary They‘ve seen her work She‘s worked closely with our intelligence teams, our diplomats, our military And she has the judgment, the experience, and the temperament to meet the threat from terrorism It‘s not new to her Our troops have pounded ISIL without mercy, taking out leaders, taking back territory And I know Hillary won‘t relent until ISIL is destroyed She will finish the job – and she‘ll it without resorting to torture, or banning entire religions from entering our country She is fit and she is ready to be the next Commander-in-Chief Meanwhile, Donald Trump calls our military a disaster Apparently, he doesn‘t know the men and women who make up the strongest 18 fighting force the world has ever known He suggests America is weak He must not hear the billions of men, women, and children, from the Baltics to Burma, who still look to America to be the light of freedom, dignity, and human rights.He cozies up to Putin, praises Saddam Hussein, tells our NATO allies that stood by our side after 9/11 that they have to pay up if they want our protection Well, America‘s promises not come with a price tag We meet our commitments We bear our burdens and that‘s one of the reasons why almost every country on Earth sees America as stronger and more respected today than they did eight years ago when I took office America is already great America is already strong And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump In fact, it doesn‘t depend on any one person And that, in the end, may be the biggest difference in this election – the meaning of our democracy Ronald Reagan called America ―a shining city on a hill.‖ Donald Trump calls it ―a divided crime scene‖ that only he can fix It doesn‘t matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as they‘ve been in decades, because he‘s not actually offering any real solutions to those issues He‘s just offering slogans, and he‘s offering fear He‘s betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election.And that is another bet that Donald Trump will lose And the reason he‘ll lost it is because he‘s selling the American people short We are not a fragile people We‘re not a frightful people Our power doesn‘t come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we things his way We don‘t look to be ruled Our power comes from those immortal declarations first put to paper right here in Philadelphia all those years ago; We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that together, That We, the People, can form a more perfect union.That‘s who we are That‘s our birthright – the capacity to shape our own destiny That‘s what drove patriots to choose revolution over tyranny and our GIs to liberate a continent It‘s what gave women the courage to reach for the ballot, and marchers to cross a bridge in Selma, and workers to organize and fight for collective bargaining and better wages America has never been about what one person says he‘ll for us It‘s always been about what can be achieved by us, together, through the hard and slow, and sometimes frustrating, but ultimately enduring work of self-government And that‘s what Hillary Clinton understands She knows that this is a big, diverse country, she has seen it, she‘s traveled, she‘s talked to folks And she understands that most issues are rarely black and white She understands that even when you‘re 100 percent right, getting things done requires compromise That democracy doesn‘t work if we constantly demonize each other.She knows that for progress to happen, 19 we have to listen to each other, and see ourselves in each other, and fight for our principles but also fight to find common ground, no matter how elusive that may sometimes seem Hillary knows we can work through racial divides in this country when we realize the worry black parents feel when their son leaves the house isn‘t so different than what a brave cop‘s family feels when he puts on the blue and goes to work; that we can honor police and treat every community fairly We can that And she knows, she knows that acknowledging problems that have festered for decades isn‘t making race relations worse – it‘s creating the possibility for people of good will to join and make things better Hillary knows we can insist on a lawful and orderly immigration system while still seeing striving students and their toiling parents as loving families, not criminals or rapists; families that came here for the same reasons our forebears came – to work, and to study, and to make a better life, in a place where we can talk and worship and love as we please She knows their dream is quintessentially American, and the American Dream is something no wall will ever contain.These are the things Hillary knows It can be frustrating, this business of democracy Trust me, I know Hillary knows, too When the other side refuses to compromise, progress can stall People are hurt by the inaction Supporters can grow impatient, and worry that you‘re not trying hard enough; that you‘ve maybe sold out But I promise you, when we keep at it; when we change enough minds; when we deliver enough votes, then progress does happen And if you doubt that just ask the twenty million more people who have health care today Just ask the Marine who proudly serves his country without hiding the husband that he loves Democracy works, America, but we gotta want it – not just during an election year, but all the days in between So if you agree that there‘s too much inequality in our economy, and too much money in our politics, we all need to be as vocal and as organized and as persistent as Bernie Sanders‘ supporters have been during this election We all need to get out and vote for Democrats up and down the ticket, and then hold them accountable until they get the job done That‘s right Feel the Bern.If you want more justice in the justice system, then we‘ve all got to vote – not just for a President, but for mayors, and sheriffs, and state‘s attorneys, and state legislators That‘s where the criminal law is made And we‘ve got to work with police and protesters until laws and practices are changed 20 If you want to fight climate change, we‘ve got to engage not only young people on college campuses, we‘ve got to reach out to the coal miner who‘s worried about taking care of his family, the single mom worried about gas prices If you want to protect our kids and our cops from gun violence, we‘ve got to get the vast majority of Americans, including gun owners, who agree on background checks to be just as vocal and just as determined as the gun lobby that blocks change through every funeral that we hold That‘s how change happens Look, Hillary‘s got her share of critics She has been caricatured by the right and by some on the left; she has been accused of everything you can imagine – and some things you cannot But she knows that‘s what happens when you‘re under a microscope for 40 years She knows that sometimes during those 40 years, she‘s made mistakes, just like I have; just like we all That‘s what happens when we try That‘s what happens when you‘re the kind of citizen Teddy Roosevelt once described – not the timid souls who criticize from the sidelines, but someone ―who is actually in the arena…who strives valiantly; who errs…but who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement.‖ Hillary Clinton is that woman in the arena She‘s been there for us – even if we haven‘t always noticed And if you‘re serious about our democracy, you can‘t afford to stay home just because she might not align with you on every issue You‘ve got to get in the arena with her, because democracy isn‘t a spectator sport America isn‘t about ―yes he will.‖ It‘s about ―yes we can.‖ And we‘re going to carry Hillary to victory this fall, because that‘s what the moment demands Yes, we can Not yes she can, not yes I can Yes we can You know, you know, there‘s been a lot of talk in this campaign about what America has lost – people who tell us that our way of life is being undermined by pernicious changes and dark forces beyond our control They tell voters there‘s a ―real America‖ out there that must be restored This isn‘t an idea by the way that started with Donald Trump It‘s been peddled by politicians for a long time – probably from the start of our Republic.And it‘s got me thinking about the story I told you twelve years ago tonight, about my Kansas grandparents and the things they taught me when I was growing up See my grandparents, they came from the heartland; their ancestors began settling there about 200 years ago I don‘t know if they had their birth certificates but they were there And they were Scotch-Irish mostly, farmers, teachers, ranch hands, pharmacists, oil rig workers Hardy, small town folks 21 Some were Democrats, but a lot of them, maybe most of them, were Republicans Party of Lincoln And my grandparents explained that folks in these parts, they didn‘t like show-offs They didn‘t admire braggarts or bullies They didn‘t respect mean-spiritedness, or folks who were always looking for shortcuts in life Instead, what they valued were traits like honesty and hard work Kindness and courtesy Humility; responsibility; helping each other out That‘s what they believed in True things Things that last The things we try to teach our kids.And what my grandparents understood was that these values weren‘t limited to Kansas They weren‘t limited to small towns These values could travel to Hawaii; they could travel even to the other side of the world, where my mother would end up working to help poor women get a better life My grandparents knew these values weren‘t reserved for one race; they could be passed down to a half-Kenyan grandson, or a half-Asian granddaughter; in fact, they were the same values Michelle‘s parents, the descendants of slaves, taught their own kids living in a bungalow on the south-side of Chicago They knew these values were exactly what drew immigrants here, and they believed that the children of those immigrants were just as American as their own, whether they wore a cowboy hat or a yarmulke; a baseball cap or a hijab America has changed over the years But these values that my grandparents taught me – they haven‘t gone anywhere They‘re as strong as ever; still cherished by people of every party, every race, every faith They live on in each of us What makes us American, what makes us patriots, is what‘s in here That‘s what matters That‘s why we can take the food and music and holidays and styles of other countries, and blend it into something uniquely our own That‘s why we can attract strivers and entrepreneurs from around the globe to build new factories and create new industries here That‘s why our military can look the way it does, every shade of humanity, forged into common service That‘s why anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end That is America That is America Those bonds of affection; that common creed We don‘t fear the future; we shape it, we embrace it, as one people, stronger together than we are on our own That‘s what Hillary Clinton understands – this fighter, this stateswoman, this mother and grandmother, this public servant, this patriot – that‘s the America she‘s fighting for And that‘s why I have confidence, as I leave this stage tonight, that the Democratic Party is in good hands My time in this office it hasn‘t fixed everything; as much as we‘ve done, there‘s still so much I want to But for all the tough lessons I‘ve had to learn; for all the places where I‘ve fallen short; I‘ve told Hillary, and I‘ll tell you what‘s picked me back up, every single time It‘s been you The American people 22 It‘s the letter I keep on my wall from a survivor in Ohio who twice almost lost everything to cancer, but urged me to keep fighting for health care reform, even when the battle seemed lost Do not quit It‘s the painting I keep in my private office, a big-eyed, green owl, with blue wings, made by a seven year-old girl who was taken from us in Newtown, given to me by her parents so I wouldn‘t forget – a reminder of all the parents who have turned their grief into action It‘s the small business owner in Colorado who cut most of his own salary so he wouldn‘t have to lay off any of his workers in the recession – because, he said, ―that wouldn‘t have been in the spirit of America ‖It‘s the conservative in Texas who said he disagreed with me on everything, but he appreciated that, like him, I try to be a good dad It‘s the courage of the young soldier from Arizona who nearly died on the battlefield in Afghanistan, but who‘s learned to speak again and walk again – and earlier this year, stepped through the door of the Oval Office on his own power, to salute and shake my hand It‘s every American who believed we could change this country for the better, so many of you who‘d never been involved in politics, who picked up phones, and hit the streets, and used the internet in amazing new ways that I didn‘t really understand but made change happen You are the best organizers on the planet, and I‘m so proud of all the change you‘ve made possible Time and again, you‘ve picked me up And I hope, sometimes, I picked you up, too And tonight, I ask you to for Hillary Clinton what you did for me I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me Because you‘re who I was talking about twelve years ago, when I talked about hope – it‘s been you who‘ve fueled my dogged faith in our future, even when the odds were great; even when the road is long Hope in the face of difficulty; hope in the face of uncertainty; the audacity of hope America, you have vindicated that hope these past eight years And now I‘m ready to pass the baton and my part as a private citizen So this year, in this election, I‘m asking you to join me – to reject cynicism, and reject fear, and to summon what‘s best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States, and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation Thank you for this incredible journey Let‘s keep it going God bless you God bless the United States of America 23 President Obama’s remarks on Donald Trump’s election Good afternoon, everybody Yesterday, before votes were tallied, I shot a video that some of you may have seen in which I said to the American people, regardless of which side you were on in the election, regardless of whether your candidate won or lost, the sun would come up in the morning And that is one bit of prognosticating that actually came true The sun is up And I know everybody had a long night I did as well I had a chance to talk to Presidentelect Trump last night about 3:30 in the morning, I think it was, to congratulate him on winning the election and I had a chance to invite him to come to the White House tomorrow to talk about making sure that there is a successful transition between our presidencies Now, it is no secret that the president-elect and I have some pretty significant differences But remember, eight years ago President Bush and I had some pretty significant differences But President Bush's team could not have been more professional or more gracious in making sure we had a smooth transition so that we could hit the ground running And one thing you realize quickly in this job is that the presidency and the vice presidency is bigger than any of us So I have instructed my team to follow the example that President Bush's team set eight years ago, and work as hard as we can to make sure that this is a successful transition for the president-elect Because we are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy And over the next few months, we are going to show that to the world I also had a chance last night to speak with Secretary Clinton and I just had the chance to hear her remarks I could not be prouder of her She has lived an extraordinary life of public service She was a great first lady She was an outstanding senator for the state of New York And she could not have been a better secretary of state I'm proud of her A lot of Americans look up to her Her candidacy and nomination was historic and sends a message to our daughters all across the country that they can achieve at the highest levels of politics And I'm absolutely confident that she and President Clinton will continue to great work for people here in the United States and all around the world Now, everybody is sad when their side loses an election, but the day after we have to remember that we're actually all on one team This is an intramural scrimmage We're not Democrats first We're not Republicans first We are Americans first We're patriots first 24 We all want what's best for this country That's what I heard in Mr Trump's remarks last night That's what I heard when I spoke to him directly And I was heartened by that That's what the country needs a sense of unity, a sense of inclusion, a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law, and respect for each other I hope that he maintains that spirit throughout this transition And I certainly hope that's how his presidency has a chance to begin I also told my team today to keep their heads up, because the remarkable work that they have done day in, day out, often without a lot of fanfare, often with (ph) a lot of a lot of attention work in agencies, work in obscure areas of policy that make government run better and make it more responsive and make it more efficient, and make it more service-friendly so that it's actually helping more people That remarkable work has left the next president with a stronger, better country than the one that existed eight years ago So win or lose in this election, that was always our mission That was our mission from day one And everyone on my team should be extraordinarily proud of everything that they have done and so should all of the Americans that I've had a chance to meet all across this country who the hard work of building on that progress every single day Teachers in schools, doctors in E.R clinic, small businesses putting their all into starting something up, making sure they're treating their employees well, all the important work that's done by moms and dads and families and congregations in every state, the work of perfecting this union So this was a long and hard fought campaign A lot of our fellow Americans are exalted today, a lot of Americans are less so, but that's the nature of campaigns, that's the nature of democracy It is hard and sometimes contentious and noisy and it's not always inspiring But to the young people who got into politics for the first time and may be disappointed by the results, I just want you to know, you have to stay encouraged Don't get cynical, don't ever think you can't make a difference As Secretary Clinton said this morning, fighting for what is right is worth it Sometimes you lose an argument, sometimes you lose an election You know, the path that this country has taken has never been a straight line We zig and zag and sometimes we move in ways that some people think is forward and others think is moving back, and that's OK I've lost elections before Joe hasn't, but That's the way politics works sometimes We try really hard to persuade people that we're right and then people vote And then if we lose, we learn from our mistakes, we some reflection, we lick our wounds, we brush ourselves off, we get back in the arena, we go at it We try even harder the next time 25 The point though is is that we all go forward with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens, because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy That's how this country has moved forward for 240 years It's how we've pushed boundaries and promoted freedom around the world That's how we've expanded the rights of our founding to reach all of our citizens It's how we have come this far And that's why I'm confident that this incredible journey that we're on, as Americans, will go on And I'm looking forward to doing everything that I can to make sure that the next president is successful in that I've said before, I think of this job as being a relay runner You take the baton, you run your best race and hopefully by the time you hand it off, you're a little further ahead, you've made a little progress And I can say that we've done that and I want to make sure that handoff is well executed because ultimately we're all on the same team All right Thank you very much, everybody 26 ... a variety of studies on CDA of the U.S President Barack Obama? ??s speech, there is a similar study named A critical discourse analysis of Barack Obama? ??s speeches, 2010 by Junling Wang This study... data analysis procedure of Barack Obama? ??s farewell address and Fairclough‘s CDA framework 17 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Textual analysis President Barack Obama serves as the 44th President... President Barack Obama delivered his farewell speech to the American people in Chicago following a divisive election The farewell address traditionally marks the end of the President Barack Obama? ??s