There are a multitude of speeches that have had significant impacts on the course of history. Some of these speeches have not only shaped the United States of America, but also other countries around the globe. Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States, and Nelson Mandela, first president of South Africa, have been noted for particularly noteworthy inaugural speeches. They both use similar styles of rhetoric, such as use of repetition and allusion. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 marked a turning point in American history. With the election of the first black president, it was a signal America was moving in the right direction towards equality and away from racial prejudices of the past. As a result of his election, American people …show more content…
Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune. [W]e have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action” (MLA citation).
Obama’s application of repetition in this passage puts emphasis on how the US have come together to make necessary changes to a rapidly growing society. Together, the people of the United States recognize that certain aspects of life require changes and that collectively, everybody has worked together to make those changes possible. The use of repetition in this text keeps the word ‘together’ in the listener’s mind and the more they hear it, the more likely they are to remember the …show more content…
To this day, Americans continue to be skeptical of overpowering governments and wholly belief in government. Throughout their history, it has been common for the United States to challenge what they believe to be wrong and act on that. Obama’s use of allusion in this excerpt reminds the audience of how some basic core American ideals have not changed and of how much the country has developed. His use of allusion brings to the forefront of the American people’s minds the history of the United States, and how their determination of standing up for what is right, defines who they are. Nelson Mandela became the first president of South Africa after facing struggles of apartheid and domination of the black community by the white minority. In his inaugural speech, he recalls the battles and conflicts South Africans went through to achieve social