Abstract

This thesis attempts to analyze the vital role that stasis plays in Michelle Obama’s 2016 DNC speech. “Stasis” means major issue of an argument. As explained in the book Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students, “stasis can help rhetors to determine where the disagreement between themselves and their audience begins. Determining the point of disagreement is the obvious starting point for rhetorical invention, which is always stimulated by some difference of opinion” (Chowley & Hawhee, 2011). Therefore, stasis is of great use to speakers for assessing the probable response of an audience to their work, and knowing their audience’s mind and seizing their feelings. 

There are three reasons to choose Michelle Obama’s 2016 speech on DNC (Democratic National Convention) as the discourse. First of all, recently, with the frequent exchange between China and America, it is beneficial to us to have a deeper understanding of the speeches of some prominent American politicians, such as Michelle Obama. As the First Lady in the U.S. in the past eight years, she makes a great contribution in supporting Barack Obama. In addition, Michelle Obama is an expert in rhetoric. She has a understanding of the art of rhetoric, and by taking control of various rhetorical resources, she always succeeds in fulfilling her rhetorical intention. So it is apparent that her speeches are of great research value to us. Ultimately, the event happened in 2016, ensuring that the thesis keeps up with the times.

To conduct the research, the author will adopt a theoretical framework of four major stases: fact, definition, nature and action, combined with the Prominence theory in cognitive grammar to locate the main stasis and the selected stases, which will be the core of the analysis. In applying this new theoretical framework to analyze the strategies of Michelle Obama’s use of stasis, we will disclose her hidden meanings in the discourse on election campaign. Furthermore, the author will sum up the effects of stasis, both in organizing the structure of her speech and in attracting the audience’s attention. This research also finds out that Michelle Obama as well as a large number of other speakers concentrate on one main stasis, which is decided by the purpose of the speech, that the use of stasis is beneficial to the speaker to assess probable responses of the audience, and that speakers can fulfill their fundamental purpose successfully by using the stasis system tactically.

Key words: Stasis, Michelle Obama, 2016 DNC

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Chapter 1 Introduction-2

1.1 Background and significance of the study-2

1.2 Objective and methodology of the study-2

1.3 Layout of the thesis-3

Chapter 2 Literature Review-5

2.1 Previous studies on stasis in speeches at home and abroad-5

2.2 Comment-6

Chapter 3 Theoretical Framework-8

3.1 Definition of stasis-8

3.2 Classification of stasis-8

3.2.1 Fact-9

3.2.2 Definition-9

3.2.3 Nature-10

3.2.4 Action-10

3.3 A tactical employment of stasis-11

Chapter 4 Stasis in Michelle Obama’s 2016 DNC Speech-13

4.1 Background-13

4.2 A tactical employment of stases-13

4.2.1 Selection of four stases-13

4.2.2 Prominent treatment of action stasis-18

Chapter 5 Conclusion-20

5.1 Major findings of the study-20

5.2 Limitations and suggestions for future study-20

References-22

Appendix-24

文献综述报告-29