The
text presented is Malala Yousafzai’s speech to the Norwegian Nobel Committee in
2014. The text provided is identified as a political speech due to Yousafzai’s
use of rhetorical devices, persuasion techniques and her implementation of
memorable sayings. Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for female education and
gender equality. It was Yousafzai’s vehement avocation for women’s education
that caused the Norwegian Nobel Committee to venerate her with a Nobel peace
prize in 2014. Yousafzai was mindful of her multicultural audience, her purpose
to admonish inequality, her content that catered to her presence at the
Norwegian Nobel Committee and her theme of world peace and education. Style,
structure, tone and mood aptly gathered Yousafzai’s thoughts into a
well-crafted speech. Yousafzai’s audience, purpose, content and theme were the
core of her speech on which style, structure, tone and mood were built.
The
Norwegian Nobel Committee received an international, multicultural audience. With
an awareness of her audience, Yousafzai strategically advocated her cause,
whereby she elucidated the international impact of inequality in educational
systems proving it is not merely her struggle, “I am those sixty-six million
girls who are deprived of education.” Furthermore, Yousafzai aptly employs
eponym because “Great people, who brought change” have never been from one
nation “like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Aung San
Suu Kyi.” Through referencing the world’s peace leaders, Yousafzai was able to
appeal to her multicultural audience. Additionally, Yousafzai’s use of eponym
has drawn lines of parallel between the world’s peace heroes and herself,
denoting that she is worthy of the Nobel peace prize. This juxtaposition causes
the privileged individuals in her audience to value her advocacy, which they
may have debased heretofore due to their lack of exposure to gender inequality
in more economically developed countries.
Malala
Yousafzai’s purpose, not only within the context of her political speech, but
her purpose in life is to raise awareness of inequality in education and
women’s rights. Yousafzai employs the
persuasion techniques of humor and personal sentiment; ethos has enabled her to
cohere to her multifarious audience. Furthermore, in attempts to connect with
her audience to effectively advocate her purpose, Yousafzai frequently mentions
her family and reminisces on humorous memories. “I am pretty certain that I am
also the first recipient of the Nobel peace Price who still fights with her
younger brothers.” She says in a humorous tone. Humor is the result of the
irony in the situation: the contrast created by the serious tone that
accompanies a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and the juxtaposing personal tone
that is referenced. Yousafzai chooses to identify as the “annoying bossy
sister” in order to be viewed by her audience through an ethos lens of
humility. Additionally, she chooses to implement anaphora in the pathos
influenced phrase “Dear sisters and brothers” in order to stimulate feelings of
comfort and trust. Through utilizing the audience’s trust, she can efficiently
advocate her purpose, equality and the right to education. As for the content
of her speech, it was tailored to fit the purpose of her attendance at the
Norwegian Nobel Prize Ceremony.
The
content of Yousafzai’s speech was primarily influenced by world peace and
equality. Malala Yousafzai elaborated on her passion for education, equality
and world peace. The theme of Yousafzai’s speech revolved around world peace,
this is appropriate as she is accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. She says “The
world can no longer accept, the world can no longer accept that basic education
is enough.” Through her use of anaphora, Yousafzai renders a potent and
memorable statement in which she stimulates feelings of fear and urgency in the
audience’s mind, which will prove useful for her campaign. Yousafzai employs
amplification in order to emphasize the value of her content and to entice the
audience. She says “this is for the forgotten children who want education. This
is for the frightened children who want peace. This is for those voiceless
child who want change.” Yousafzai uses anaphora in the repeating phrase at the
beginning of each of the three sentences “This is for…”, with each sentence she
increases the intensity of the content she provides. Yousafzai amplifies the
need to nurture, she transitions from forgotten children, to frightened
children, to voiceless children She also transitions from children who want education,
to children who want peace, to children want change. Evidently, in each of the
three sentences, the intensity is gradually magnified. Yousafzai uses a
plethora of rhetorical devices, more specifically different forms of repetition
in order to mimic the style and structure of political speeches.
The
tone of this political speech stresses urgency, however the mood brings forth
hope for the future. To wrap up her
speech, Yousafzai employs anaphora and repeats the phrase “Let it be the last
time…” demanding that world leaders take action to “Let it be the last time
that we see a child out of school.” Yousafzai’s use of chiasmus inspires the
audience because “this is where [she] will begin but not where [she] will
stop.” And the audience feels a moral duty to join her as she embarks on this
journey to reaching educational equity. She provides a simple solution,
effectively persuading world leaders “to unite and make education their top
priority”, additionally persuading them that the fight for equality is not a
tedious task. Malala Yousafzai’s hope began when her Muslim Pakistani father
refrained from “clipping her wings” and allowed her to “fly”. Yousafzai’s hope
was soon infectious; she “had two options. One was to remain silent and be
killed. And the second was to speak up and then be killed.” However, she
charismatically states, “I chose the second one. I decided to speak up.” This
creates a hopeful mood for the future. Seventeen-year-old girls are taking the
initiative to bring about world peace, thus world leaders must reflect upon
themselves and ensure they work harder to secure the future. They must fathom
the urgency of the situation in order to catalyze such international
initiatives. Tone and mood added flavor to the speech, it was often pathos
driven. However, in conjunction with style and structure the content of the
speech was elevated and further enhanced.
The
style and structure of political speeches is recognizable by the implementation
of the formal register and by the gradual but inevitable ending often evokes
action for a certain cause. Yousafzai establishes her formal register from the
opening of the speech; she appropriately addresses the audience by saying “Your
majesties, your royal highnesses, distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel
Committee.” Furthermore, Yousafzai refrained from using slang and swear words.
Despite her formal register, Yousafzai has frequently said “Dear sisters and
brothers,” and through anaphora, the audience feels a personal connection to
Yousafzai due to her use of pathos, which evoked feelings of trust and empathy.
As for structure, Yousafzai frequently draws juxtaposing parallels, “Why is it
that countries which we call strong are so powerful in creating wars, but so
weak in bringing peace? Why is it giving guns is so easy but giving books is so
hard? Why is it, why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools
is so hard?” Through the use of hypophora and antithesis in these rhetorical
questions, Yousafzai reinforces the urgency of the situation. The questions she
asks are not to be answered but rather to create a tone of mimicry to
scrutinize the world’s politicians and their priorities. Yousafzai says “We ask
the world leaders to unite and make education their top priority.” On a larger
scale, the structure of the speech starts by Yousafzai introducing how she
began advocating for female education, it ended by her urgently calling for
help and for a change. The mood of urgency is emphasized through her use of
anaphora in the ending paragraph where “Let it be the last time” is frequently
repeated. In the last lines of the speech, she summarized what needed to be
done effectively and efficiently.
In
conclusion, Malala Yousafzai incorporated rhetorical devices and persuasive
techniques into her speech while regarding her audience and purpose in order to
deliver a successful political speech that effectively advocated for female
education. Stylistic features have heavily impacted the construction political
speech. Her fruitful use of rhetorical devices has enhanced the message in her
speech. For example, through use of eponym and direct references to
world-renowned activist, to indirect lines parallel drawn through denoted
content, Yousafzai has succeeded at advocating her cause and the importance of
education and equality simultaneously. Through her appropriate use of register
and her implementation of memorable sayings, Yousafzai has delivered a powerful
political speech.
