Barack Obama and the Rhetoric of Hope - Softcover

Ferrara, Mark S.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786467932 ISBN 13: 9780786467938

Publisher: McFarland, 2013

Synopsis

The "rhetoric of hope" is a form of political discourse characterized by a forward-looking vision of social progress brought about by collective effort and adherence to shared values (including discipline, temperance, a strong work ethic, self-reliance, and service to the community). This book traces the historical and literary antecedents of the President's campaign rhetoric to the utopian traditions of the Western world. 

By combining his own personal story (as the biracial son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya) with national mythologies such as the American Dream, Obama creates a persona that embodies the moral values and cultural mythos of his implied audience. In doing so, he draws upon Judeo-Christianity; the European Enlightenment; the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights; the presidencies of Jefferson, Lincoln, and FDR; the Black church and Civil Rights Movement; and popular culture.

About this title

About the Author

Mark S. Ferrara is associate professor of English at State University of New York and author of several books, including Palace of Ashes, New Seeds of Profit, and American Community. He has taught in South Korea, in China, and on a Fulbright Scholarship in Turkey. For several years, he directed the Chinese Cultural Exchange Program at Drake University.

Edition details

• Publisher: McFarland
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786467932
• ISBN 13: 9780786467938
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 204