A Play of Words: Examining the Language of Persuasion in John F. Kennedy's and Donald Trump's Presidential Speeches

Durga Jainudin, Keona (2021) A Play of Words: Examining the Language of Persuasion in John F. Kennedy's and Donald Trump's Presidential Speeches. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Persuasion, which influences people’s beliefs and actions, is a notable element of political discourse. Presidential speeches frequently employ persuasion to effectively engage citizens. John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Donald Trump are noteworthy for their use of rhetorical persuasion in their presidential speeches. In this research, Aristotle’s rhetoric persuasion, i.e. pathos, ethos, and logos, is investigated through these two presidents’ use of literary devices, namely metaphor, alliteration, and rhyme. Three presidential speeches for each president were analyzed and the data was used for a comparison of similarities and differences, with particular interest in pathos, and for forming reader response discussions. The findings revealed Kennedy’s preferences for metaphors, strategic alliteration, and poem-like rhyme, and Trump’s preferences for less metaphors and repetition rhyme. Both presidents greatly relied on pathos and used logos to engage the audience’s rational thinking, but often differed in their use of ethos. Using pathos, Kennedy inspired his audience with optimism while Trump utilized negative sentiments to encourage national pride. Thus, this study indicates that Kennedy’s speeches are motivatingly effective while Trump’s are awe-inspiringly effective. Research in such an under-researched field highlights that there is more to study in the areas of presidential speeches and their interpretation as literary texts, which contributes to more of such studies in linguistics, literature, and popular culture.