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.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The American Dream
2.1 Definition and history of concepts
2.2 History
2.3 The American Dream as a subject in political speeches
3. Barack Obama
3.1 Biography
3.1.1 Childhood
3.1.2 University and Business
3.2 Political Developments
3.3 Obama’s biography compared to the American Dream
4. Speeches
4.1 Announcement for President
4.1.1 Analysis with special focus on the American Dream
4.2 Obama’s Inaugural Speech
4.2.1 Reproduction of content
4.2.2 Analysis with special focus on the American dream
4.3 The European Speech
4.3.1 Analysis with special focus on the American Dream
5. Results of Analysis
5.1 American Dream as an important component of Obama’s way of argumentation:
5.2 Ideals and values of the American Dream, Obama refers to
5.3 The influence of different audiences on the usage of the American Dream
6. Conclusion
7. Index of Literature
Objectives and Topics
This thesis examines the rhetorical utilization of the "American Dream" by Barack Obama during his 2008 election campaign and early presidency. The research investigates how Obama integrates this traditional ethos into his arguments to establish a connection with his audience, mobilize voters, and articulate his political vision.
- The historical and conceptual definition of the American Dream.
- Barack Obama’s biography in the context of the American success story.
- A detailed analysis of three key speeches: the Announcement for President, the Inaugural Speech, and the European Speech.
- The rhetorical adaptability of the American Dream for diverse audiences.
- The link between Obama's political agenda and traditional American values.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2.2 Analysis with special focus on the American dream
Already in the short introduction, it becomes clear that the recollection of the roots of America will, beside the “task before us”, which Obama explains in detail, play an important role during this speech.
On the other hand, Obama immediately stresses that it is not “his” task. Underlined by the word “humbled”, he gives the impression that the task ahead is too huge for him to handle alone and that he will need the citizens’ help.
In addition, Obama grabs the audience’s attention right away, because, by being addressed, they will listen to the following speech more attentively than they probably would if Obama was going to talk about a task he was about to work on alone.
After the greeting, Obama emphasizes that throughout the history of the USA, the conditions under which new presidents took office have always differed. Nevertheless, America always “carried on” (cf. l.10), not least because of a working government, but also because “the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents”.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the central question of the thesis regarding how Obama updates and enlarges the American Dream to inspire citizens.
2. The American Dream: Provides a theoretical framework by defining the history and basic values of the American Dream and its significance in political rhetoric.
3. Barack Obama: Outlines Obama’s biography, including his childhood, education, and political career, and compares his personal journey to the American Dream.
4. Speeches: Analyzes the rhetorical use of the American Dream in three specific speeches, exploring both content and specific analytical focuses.
5. Results of Analysis: Synthesizes the findings on how Obama utilizes the American Dream as an argumentative component, updates its values, and adapts it to different audiences.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes how the adaptability of the American Dream served as a crucial rhetorical device for Obama’s political success.
7. Index of Literature: Lists the sources and academic literature used for this thesis.
Keywords
American Dream, Barack Obama, Political Rhetoric, Election Campaign 2008, Inaugural Speech, European Speech, National Ethos, Change, Collective Responsibility, Equality, Liberty, Historical Identity, Globalization, Political Communication, American History.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this thesis?
The work focuses on how Barack Obama utilized the "American Dream" as a rhetorical tool in his speeches during the 2008 election campaign and the beginning of his presidency.
What are the central themes covered?
The core themes include the definition of the American Dream, the biography of Barack Obama as a reflection of this dream, and the strategic adaptation of this myth in political communication.
What is the primary research question?
The central question is how Obama uses, updates, and expands the traditional American Dream to mobilize voters and connect his political aims to the people’s personal aspirations.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a qualitative analysis of three specific speeches (Announcement for President, Inaugural Speech, and European Speech), examining their content and the integration of historical and patriotic values.
What does the main body address?
The main body systematically analyzes Obama’s speeches, identifying how he invokes the Founding Fathers, refers to American history, and links his specific policy goals to the broader narrative of the American Dream.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include American Dream, Barack Obama, political rhetoric, presidential campaign, national values, and political communication.
How does Obama adapt the American Dream for a European audience?
In his European speech, Obama shifts from specific American history to a "common history" and shared universal values to build bridges between the USA and Europe.
Why is Obama's biography relevant to the American Dream in this analysis?
The author argues that Obama’s own rise from a multicultural background to the presidency serves as a living proof and affirmation of the American Dream, making his message credible to the public.
- Citar trabajo
- Bernd C. Schmidt-Nagel (Autor), 2011, Barack Obama and the American Dream, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/171989
