西安外国语大学英文学院陕西西安710128
Abstract:AccordingtoAristotle,threekindsofappealsneedtobeappliedforasuccessfulspeech;theyarelogos,ethosandpathos.Inthispaper,theauthorwillanalyzehowthreeappealsareappliedinTrump’sinauguralspeechtorealizehisintention.
Keywords:threeappeals;Trump’inauguralspeech
Asasuccessfulbusinessmanwithoutpriormilitaryorgovernmentservice,sincethedayTrumpannouncedhiscandidacyforPresidentoftheUnitedStates,therehasbeenahotdiscussionabouthim.Therefore,thispaperaimstoprovidearhetoricalanalysisofTrump’sinauguralspeechfromtheperspectiveofthreeappeals—logos,ethosandpathos.Throughthedetailedstudy,itiseasytohaveabetterunderstandingofTrump’sspeechandhowTrumpappliesthethreeappealsinhisspeechtorealizehispurpose.
1ApplicationofEthosinTrump’sInauguralSpeech
Ethosorethicalproofmeanstoconvinceanaudienceoftheauthor’scredibilityorcharacter(Crowley&Hawhee195).Trump’sinauguralspeechhasmanywordsabouttheinequalitiesinAmerica,forexample:“Fortoolong,asmallgroupinournation’scapitalhasreapedtherewardsofgovernmentwhilethepeoplehavebornethecost…”WhatTrumpsayshasshownthatheisanobjectiveandrighteousman,hehasshownhissympathytowardthosepeopleandunderlinedhishumanqualities.Bythesewords,Trumphopestosecurehisgoodwilltowardtheaudiencesandattaintheirsupportsandtrust.
Ethoscanalsoberealizedbyusingpronouns.Appropriateuseofpronounsclearsthebarrierbetweenthespeakerandtheaudience,thusmakesthespeakermoresincereandtrustful.Inthisspeech,Trumpemploysmanydifferentpronounstoestablishhisconnectionswiththeaudience,forexample:“Wewillbringbackourjobs.Wewillbringbackourborders.Wewillbringbackourwealth.Andwewillbringbackourdreams…”Thepluralfirst-personpronoun“we”mayestablishalevelofintimacythatpresumesmuchincommonbetweentherhetorandtheaudience,though,infact,agreatpowerdifferentialexistsbetweenthem.Trumpuses“we”toindicatethathestandstogetherwithallAmericanpeople,whichshortensthedistancebetweenthemandbuildsasenseofunity.
2ApplicationofPathosinTrump’sInauguralSpeech
Pathosortheemotionalproofmeanstopersuadeanaudiencebyappealingtotheiremotions(Crowley&Hawhee246).Forexample:“Theirvictorieshavenotbeenyourvictories;theirtriumphshavenotbeenyourtriumphs…”InAmerica,therearerichbusinessmen,successfulpoliticianswhoareenjoyingtheirlivesinprosperouscities,buttheyarejustasmallgroupofpeople.Thisisanexplicitexampleofemotionalappealbyappeallingtotheaudiences’woesandpains,inthisway,Trumphassuccessfullyarousedtheiremotionsandpersuadedthemtobelievethathewillbeacompassionatepresident,andleadsthemtodosomethingtochangetheirlives.
Trumpendshisspeechbyrepeating:“Together,wewillmakeAmericastrongagain.WewillmakeAmericawealthyagain…And,yes,together,wewillmakeAmericagreatagain.”TheserepeatedsentenceshelptoemphasizeandenhancetheemotionoftheaudiencesandshowTrump’sdeterminationtoleadAmericanpeopletorealizetheirAmericandream.HeappealstothenationalprideeveryAmericanholdsdeepintheirheartsandremindsthemofagreatAmerica.Theiremotionmayarriveattheclimaxatthistime.
3ApplicationofLogosinTrump’sInauguralSpeech
Logosreferstotheappealtoreasoningorrationality(Crowley&Hawhee158).Inthisspeech,logosismainlyachievedbylogicalorganization.TrumpfirstlistssomeproblemsthatexistinAmerica,andthengiveshispromisestomakethemchange.Butthereisnostatisticsortestimonywhichcanmakethespeechmoresolidandirrefutable.
4Conclusion
WhetherTrumpisawareofitornot,heactuallyemploysthreeappealsforhispersuasiveaiminhisspeech.ButsomeshortcomingscanbefoundinTrump’sinauguralspeech.Forexample,weknowthattherearesituatedethosandinventedethos.BeforeTrumpbecomesthepresident,heisabusinessmanwithoutpoliticaltraining,howcanheprovethatheisqualifiedasaleaderofthewholecountry.Thatistosay,Trumpneedstoenhancehissituatedethosandhe’dbettershowhiscompetenceasapresidentinthespeechwhichmaymakehimmoretrustful.Sometimes,statisticsandtestimonyspeakloudtopersuadepeoplethansomeemptywords,whilethisiswhatTrumplacksinhisspeech.
References
Bizzal,Patricia,andBruceHerzberg.(2001).TheRhetoricalTradition:ReadingsfromClassicalTimestothePresent(2ndedition).NY:Bedford/St.Martins.
CrowleyS,HawheeD.(2004).AncientRhetoricsforContemporaryStudents.NewYork:MacMillan.
作者简介：乔思敏，1994年5月9日出生，女，汉族，籍贯安阳县，现就读于西安外国语大学英文学院2016级应用语言学专业。主要研究方向：二语习得。