The acting president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, fascinated millions of US-citizens in many of his campaign speeches in 2008. With his slogan “Yes we can!” he offered them a new, believable perspective.
Finally, this wave of euphoria brought him to the White House and made him, contrary to all expectations, the first black US-President.
I looked fascinated and interested at all important incidents happening in the USA in 2008 and I just wondered why it was possible to this man, like no other person, to fill so many people in this great country with enthusiasm and to give them a new hope of a better future.
Looking back on these events and irrespective of the fact if his goals were achieved or not, I ask myself which values, ideas and aims made the people so absolutely excited and how they were influenced by Obama.
If you only take a superficial view on this issue, it already becomes clear that the very popular American Dream, which is based on American history, is and was one of the important subjects of Obama’s speeches.
How Obama uses this Dream and the way he updates and enlarges it should be the central question of this thesis.
In order to do so, it is at first important to take a close look at Barack Obama, his curriculum vitae and his political rising. On the other hand, I want to present the history of the American Dream, as well as a preferably general but handy definition of what the American Dream actually is and what it wants to express.
Based on this, a detailed analysis of certain speeches of Obama with a special focus on the American Dream follows.
Outgoing from the results of the analysis, I will examine how Obama encloses the dream in his way of argumentation, the different values he refers to and the influence of different audiences on the usage of the American Dream.
In order to answer the general question of this thesis, explained above, in a good and suitable way, these points will be synoptically summarized in the conclusion. Of course, it is impossible to take a serious look at all his speeches or to pick up every single aspect of the American Dream coming up during American history, as this would exceed the extent of this essay. Nonetheless, a coherent, objective and differentiated answer to the general question should be the goal and claim of this thesis.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The American Dream
- Definition and history of concepts
- History
- The American Dream as a subject in political speeches
- Barack Obama
- Biography
- Childhood
- University and Business
- Political Developments
- Obama's biography compared to the American Dream
- Biography
- Speeches
- Announcement for President
- Analysis with special focus on the American Dream
- Obama's Inaugural Speech
- Reproduction of content
- Analysis with special focus on the American dream
- The European Speech
- Analysis with special focus on the American Dream
- Announcement for President
- Results of Analysis
- American Dream as an important component of Obama's way of argumentation
- Ideals and values of the American Dream, Obama refers to
- The influence of different audiences on the usage of the American Dream
- Conclusion
- Index of Literature
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to explore the role and significance of the American Dream in the speeches of Barack Obama, particularly focusing on his campaign speeches in 2008. The objective is to understand how Obama utilizes the American Dream to connect with the audience and persuade them about his vision for a better future. The thesis seeks to analyze how he incorporates the dream into his arguments, the specific values he emphasizes, and how his approach might differ depending on the audience.
- The historical and contemporary understanding of the American Dream
- Barack Obama's biographical background and its connection to the American Dream
- The strategic use of the American Dream in Obama's speeches
- The different values and ideals associated with the American Dream that Obama highlights
- The influence of diverse audiences on the way Obama utilizes the American Dream
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the subject matter and provides context for the thesis. It highlights Obama's influence and the question of what values, ideas, and goals resonated with the American people, particularly focusing on the American Dream.
- The American Dream: This chapter provides a thorough definition and historical overview of the American Dream. It examines its roots, key values, and its evolution over time, including its significance in political discourse.
- Barack Obama: This chapter focuses on Obama's biography, highlighting his childhood, educational background, and early political career. It explores how his personal journey aligns with the traditional ideals of the American Dream.
- Speeches: This chapter analyzes several of Obama's speeches, specifically the “Announcement for President,” the “Inaugural Speech,” and the “European Speech.” The analysis will examine how Obama incorporates the American Dream in each speech, including his specific language and arguments.
- Results of Analysis: This chapter synthesizes the findings from the speech analyses. It examines how the American Dream serves as a crucial element in Obama's communication strategy, the specific values he emphasizes, and the impact of different audiences on his message.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This thesis delves into the concept of the American Dream, examining its historical and contemporary relevance. It analyzes the speeches of Barack Obama, focusing on his use of the American Dream as a rhetorical device to connect with audiences. The research explores specific values associated with the American Dream, including democracy, equality, and personal fulfillment, and how they are portrayed in Obama's political rhetoric.
- Quote paper
- Bernd C. Schmidt-Nagel (Author), 2011, Barack Obama and the American Dream, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/171989
