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LITERARY AND RHETORICAL DEVICES USED IN SPEECHES OF SELECTED WORLD LEADERS ____________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School Batangas State University

LITERARY AND RHETORICAL DEVICES USED IN SPEECHES

OF SELECTED WORLD LEADERS

A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School Batangas State University Batangas City, Philippines

APPROVAL SHEET This dissertation entitled LITERARY AND RHETORICAL DEVICES USED IN SPEECHES OF SELECTED WORLD LEADERS

prepared and submitted by MA NGUYEN THI HONG MINH in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree doctor of Philosophy in English has been examined and is recommended for oral Examination

Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree doctor of Philosophy in English

ABSTRACT

Title: Literary and Rhetorical Devices Used in Speeches of

Selected World Leaders Author: MA Nguyen Thi Hong Minh

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Major: English Language and Literature

Specifically, the study sought answers to the following questions:

1 What are the ideologies reflected in the speeches of Ho Chi Minh, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama?

2 How are the themes of existence, patriotism, humanism, inner peace and moral principle manifested in the selected speeches?

3 What devices were used in the speeches of world leaders with reference to rhetorical devices and literary techniques?

4 What are the implications of their ideologies to the thinking of the young people and their appreciation of literature?

This study employed the qualitative method of research in analyzing Ho Chi Minh, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama‘s ideologies in the representative speeches chosen Likewise, this analysis made use of the sociological and philosophical approaches as the bases for analysis This paper also involved content analysis, which

is a systematic technique in analyzing message content and message handling

The following representative literary works were analyzed: Ho Chi Minh‘s Selected Articles and Speeches, Margaret Thatcher‘s Collected Speeches and Barack Obama in his Own Words These selected speeches constituted the primary and twining sources of the study

Findings

The results of analysis and interpretation revealed that:

1 Ho Chi Minh, Margaret Thatcher, Barack Obama have paid special attention to the question of human beings; everything for human beings and everything by human beings This attitude is reflected in their love, respect and confidence in human beings, and their efforts to nurture and develop the skills and talents of all They themselves have set an excellent example of morality, and they have instructed to different groups of people the practices of social ethics The patriotism,

an important aspect of their ideologies, is deeply shown in their ideologies

2 The common themes in the selected world leaders‘ speeches are existence, patriotism, humanism, inner peace and moral principles These themes are fully utilized to demonstrate their ideologies Through the spoken words in front of the public, Ho Chi Minh, Margaret Thatcher, and Barack Obama confirm the existence of their ideologies; they show their deep patriotism; they highly appreciate humanism; they rely on inner peace, and they urge their people to follow set moral principles

3 The selected world leaders have carefully selected different literary devices to serve their purpose of writing appropriately Among the literary tools, the common techniques that Ho Chi Minh, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama employed in their speeches are ethos, logos, and pathos, and figurative language, symbolism and flashback These literary tools have shown their effect in emphasizing their ideologies and the themes in their speeches

4 Ho Chi Minh‘s ideology has proved its great values in the education and training of Vietnamese young generations His thoughts has served as the lightning torch leading the youth towards the defense

of the country and the building of socialism in the present context of Vietnam

Reading Ho Chi Minh‘s works reflecting his thoughts on different aspects of Vietnamese life, the youth have opportunity to develop their appreciation of literature in general and Ho Chi Minh‘s writings in

particular They are also guided toward positive thinking, good virtues and practical actions for the contribution to the building and defense of the country

Conclusions

1 The selected world leaders show their own ideologies in their speeches The selected world leaders all wish to build a peaceful and prosperous country for their nation and expect to achieve happiness for their people As the country leader, they also establish norms and principles so that their people will pursuit their desires

2 The selected world leaders share some common themes in their speeches They confirm their existence, show their patriotism and humanism towards their countrymen and human beings The selected speeches reveal the world leaders‘ inner peace and moral principles which they have established to educate their people

3 The thesis also shows that the selected world leaders have employed all kinds of rhetorical devices including ethos, logos, and pathos in order to persuade audience They have also utilized a number

of literary techniques such as figurative language, symbolism and flashback in their speeches in order to access the public

Recommendations

1 The academic managers may use this research as a frame of reference when they prepare developmental priorities, programs, projects and policies in the educational institutions

2 The working professionals employ this study in the mainstream

of their disciplines, their lives and the world and when they apply Ho Chi Minh‘s ideology into the workplace initiatives

3 College instructors of literature may use this analysis as one of their methodologies in teaching literature specifically the appropriate materials, media, and literary theories and approaches in literary analysis in their literature classes and to develop their students‘ appreciation and sense of value in order to guide and allow them to crystallize and synthesize what philosophy of life is best to learn and to live by

5 Students of literature realize the significance of the literary devices in literary works and may be inspired to treat literature as a work of art distinguished from other texts through content and form, and intensify their appreciation of literary works as well as inspire them to engage in literary analysis as an academic activity

6 The members of the community may realize, through this paper, that the Ho Chi Minh‘s ideology is the basic foundation for the struggle of national independence, the building of socialism and the cultivation of revolutionary ethics in present Vietnam

7 That future researchers conduct other literary works in the veins of the recent research for academic enhancement to have a cross dissections of views of life and to substantiate the present study

I am also grateful to the other members of my doctoral committee from the Batangas State University, Philippines, Prof Matilda H.Dimaano, Prof Amada Banaag, Prof.Lavage B Labura for their valuable comments and suggestions

I would like to thank to Dr Prof Dang Kim Vui, the President of Thai Nguyen University, for the linkage between the Thai Nguyen University and the Batangas State University and Dr Hoang Thi Bich Thao, Director for International Training Centre for her supports so that the learners could complete this course

My gratitude should also go to other related people for their academic supports towards the end of this research, Ms Le Quynh Anh

Last, but not least, I am deeply indebted to my husband, for his patience and for his unlimited support and love Without him, I would not have been able to complete this long journey

The Researcher

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page TITLE PAGE ……… i

Table of Contents ……….…… …… ii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem ……….… 1

Objectives of the study……… 8

Significance of the Study ……… … 9

Scope and Limitation of the Study … ……… 10

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE Conceptual Literature ……… 12

Research Literature ……… 28

Synthesis ……….……… 36

Conceptual Framework ……… 39

Definition of Terms ……… 47

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Method ……… 51

Treatment of Materials ……… 52

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA Analysis and Interpretation………

58 CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary……….… 166

Findings ……… 187

Conclusions ……… 196

Recommendations ……….…… 199

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CURRICULUM VITAE

Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM Introduction

The history of many countries involves great men and women whose life and careers, thinking and actions are closely associated with vivid and eventful periods in the history of these countries and their eras, which reflects the wills and aspirations of these countries and their contributions to the development of the epoch Ho Chi Minh, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama are three of them As the world‘s most famous political leaders, they are heads of nation-states, by virtue of their position, play a critical role in national development and international politics They often employ the spoken word to influence and mobilize their followers and convince people of the benefits that can arise from their leadership Political speeches are motivated by the desire to persuade and convince the nation or society and familiarize the audience with their socio-economic policies, plans and actions

In addition to helping us develop our understanding of the institutional aspect of each country‘s politics, political speeches are a good source for those wishing to understand the ideas and outlooks of politicians: their beliefs and ideologies As with the study of institutions there is considerable debate concerning the study of political beliefs and ideologies and the methodology most appropriate to their explanation or interpretation To a considerable degree this involves the study of the

words of political actors, be it the texts of political thoughts We suggest that the more detailed and deeper study of political rhetoric is of great relevance here The political speech can provide a glimpse into the process by which ideas and beliefs are manifested in argumentative

contexts It can also help us to grasp what is distinctive about political

ideas and beliefs

The wisdom embodied in the selected speeches of Ho Chi Minh, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama could help the young people reassess their lives and values when they become mindful of their genuine philosophical bounds Their writings could describe habits that delineate the youth attitude towards life in general and towards specific actions in particular They may rightly be regarded as qualifiers of human acts, influencing their deep driving forces They are conjoined in the raw materials of the social development of a person existing in a community of people and support the efforts of nation building

Ho Chi Minh‘s, Margaret Thatcher, and Barack Obama‘s ideologies have showed their great values to the young people and remains fundamental in the process of renovation and in the contribution to the building and defense of the country in the present context of Vietnam However, as a teacher of English, the research notices that there is limited research on the selected world leaders‘ ideologies in English as well as their use of rhetorical and literary devices in their speeches Therefore, the researcher was deeply

motivated to explore and undertake an analysis of how the themes of human liberation, national independence, creative Marxism-Leninism, humanism, social ethics and patriotism are manifested in Ho Chi Minh‘s selected writing as well as how literary devices are used in unveiling Ho Chi Minh‘s Thoughts in the selected works and gain honest implications

on the influences noted and dominant in the Vietnamese values

Statement of the Problem

This study is an investigation of the literary and rhetorical devices used in speeches of selected world leaders

Specifically, the study seeks answers to the following questions:

1 What are the ideologies reflected in the speeches of the following selected world leaders?

Scope, Delimitation and Limitations of the Study

This study analyzes the ideologies of selected world leaders as embodied in the selected literary pieces pointing out the events and situations which show the implications of the said ideologies to the thinking of the young people and their appreciation of literature Likewise, this paper tries to present how the themes of existence, patriotism; humanism, inner peace and moral principles; the literary devices used in speeches of selected world leaders; and the implications of their ideologies to the thinking of the young people and their appreciation of literature

This study employed the qualitative method of research in analyzing the ideologies of the selected world leaders in the representative literary works chosen Likewise, this analysis made use of the sociological and philosophical approaches as the bases for analysis Other approaches

in literary criticism that may be employed in the analysis like the Formalist Criticism, Biographical Criticism, Historical Criticism, Gender Criticism, Psychological Criticism, and Reader-Response Criticism are not part of this study

This paper also involved content analysis, which is a systematic technique in analyzing message content and message handling The data analysis in this research centered on pattern seeking and the extraction of meaning from Ho Chi Minh‘s, Margaret Thatcher‘s and Barack Obama‘s selected speeches Much effort was focused on the task of recording data or making notes through concepts and categories; altering or creating new codes or more subtle categories; linking and combining abstract concepts; extracting the essence; organizing meaning; creating theory from emerging themes; writing an understanding; and drawing conclusions

The essential features in the treatment of materials were considered by the researcher in the conduct of this study The general rules cited by Stott (2014) as regards the seven standards a piece of literature should abide to in order to be considered literary guided in the selection of works under study

A number of representative speeches reflecting Ho Chi Minh‘s, Margaret Thatcher‘s and Barack Obama‘s Ideologies are analyzed, which are all found in their masterpieces entitled Ho Chi Minh‟s Selected Articles and Speeches, Margaret Thatcher‟s Collected Speeches, and President Barack Obama in His Own Words The said

selections were chosen because of the correlation between the aforecited themes and literary and rhetorical devices which helped in unveiling the ideologies of Ho Chi Minh, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama; and the implications of the said dogma to the thinking of the young people and their appreciation of literature

Significance of the Study

The relevance of literary analysis as an essential part of a research study is highlighted in terms of its significance to a number of individuals Thus, it is vital to expand on how this study is beneficial to academic managers, working professionals, college instructors of literature, students of literature, members of the community, and other researchers

Academic Managers This paper will help them include

developmental priorities, programs, projects and policies in the educational institutions to ensure that the values espoused by Ho Chi Minh, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama as an epitome of culture, letters and peace in the highest order are perpetuated in the academe This will also inspire them to spawn activities related to the values he

showcased in the curricula that will educate the academic community of the constructive outcomes of his ideology and cause which greatly encouraged and influenced oppressed nations in their struggle against imperialism and colonialism, for national independence, peace, democracy and social progress

Working Professionals This study will be beneficial for them in

the sense that the selected works have shown Ho Chi Minh‘s, Margaret Thatcher‘s and Barack Obama‘s ideologies and morals which are very essential components in the value system, the scale of values, the measure of values, and the orientation of the Vietnamese people‘s and society‘s values today Likewise, they may be inspired to organize workplace initiatives to nurture and challenge people of all ages working

in various sectors of society to a life inspired by the selected world leaders‘ in their workplaces These initiatives may help the working people to embrace his values of tenacity and patience, clarify life goals, and revitalize working relationships within their workplaces

College Instructors of Literature This dissertation will be

helpful in the instructor‘s methodology in teaching literature as an inquiry into using the appropriate literary theories and approaches in literary analysis This will lead to treating literary criticism as a worthwhile exercise that includes, among others, the identification of meaningful themes and the investigation of literary devices to unveil such themes In addition, this will provide them with opportunities to

touch Ho Chi Minh‘s, Margaret Thatcher‘s and Barack Obama ‗s ideologies and cause in their literature classes and open their students‘ mind and hearts to the flavor of his human freedom, the essence of Confucian ethics, and the moral sense of justice that permeates his poetic lines

Students of Literature Not only will this study give them an

extensive and profound outlook in life as regards Ho Chi Minh‘s, Margaret Thatcher‘s and Barack Obama‗s ideologies and cause through their lives and experiences, it will also make them realize how he imbibed the best of all traditions, and synthesized them to effect the transformation of the lives and souls of his people and the thinking of the young people In addition, this paper will make them treat literature

as a work of art distinguished from other texts through content and form, and eventually intensify their appreciation of articles and speeches and inspire them to engage in literary analysis as an academic activity

Members of the Community This paper will make them more

aware of their social responsibility in mapping out directions as inspired

by Ho Chi Minh‘s, Margaret Thatcher‘s and Barack Obama for current and future development of the Vietnam society This will make them understand how the selected world leaders made an outstanding contribution with his early output of political works, together with his series of articles extolling the dignity of labor and deriding harshly the ills of colonialism and abuses Likewise, this study may help them

understand their indomitable and human spirit, courage, and ardent love

of his native land in the face of untold trials and adversities

Other Researchers Researchers will be benefitted by this study

through the analysis and treatment of materials, and through the careful investigation of both theme and form in literary genres Likewise, this paper will enlighten them on the process of drawing out literary theories and utilizing critical approaches in literary analysis

Chapter 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The following review of literature is presented with the end view of identifying the constructs of the study

Conceptual Literature

The review of the conceptual literature yields four types of constructs, which were used in the analysis and interpretation of the speeches to be dissected These constructs include: Speeches as a Form of Literary Works, Literary and Rhetorical Devices, Significant Works of the Selected World Leaders, and Historical, Sociological and Philosophical Criticism

Speeches as a Form of Literary Works

Literature is a body of written works The name of literature has traditionally been applied to imaginative works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution There are several ways to classify literature according to a variety of systems, including language, national origin, historical period, genre, and subject matter

Considering genre, a literary work may fall under one of two categories: fiction (nonfactual descriptions and events invented by the author) and nonfiction (a communication in which descriptions and events are understood to be factual) In this light, speeches can be

classified under the category of non-fiction; therefore, can be referred

as a form of literary works

According to Britannica Online Encyclopedia, speech is human

communication through spoken language Sharing the same viewpoint,

Wienny Ardriyati (2012) defined speech as the pronounced form of human communication It is based upon the syntactic combination of lexical and a class of words within a given context According to Webster‘s New World College Dictionary, speech is ―a talk or address given to an audience‖ or ―the general word for a discourse delivered to

an audience whether prepared or impromptu‖ Similarly, Wikipedia denotes that speech ―usually deals with interpersonal communication‖ and ―is given by an orator to an audience‖ Moreover, Đỗ Hữu Châu, stresses that lectures, speeches are written discourse made to be

spoken

According to Al-Faki (2014), making speeches is a vital part of the politician‘s role in announcing policy and persuading people to agree with it Speeches are usually prepared in advance by people whose job

is to ―control how certain events are described to the public‖– spin

doctors (Merriam-Webster online) A political speech can be defined as

a ―coherent stream of spoken language that is usually prepared for delivery by a speaker to an audience for a purpose on a political occasion‖ (Charteris-Black 2014: xiii) The sole concern of political speakers then is simply to deliver the speech appropriately and

―achieve the maximum required effect on the audience‖ (Wilson 1990: 60) What the speaker actually does is perform the speech in accord with the requirements of a specific situation Although a spin doctor prepares a speech, the public always identifies the speech with the one who delivers it, which is actually the goal of such a prepared piece of language The purpose of a political speech is to ―satisfy emotional, moral and social needs‖ Charteris-Black 2014: xii), and one of the greatest social necessities is hope

Charteris-Black (2005) argues that successful speakers, especially in political contexts need to appeal to attitudes and emotions that are already within the listeners When the listeners perceive that their beliefs are understood and supported, the speakers has created connections to the policy that they wish to communicate When putting forward arguments a speaker has to communicate at an emotional level and take standpoints that seem morally correct Furthermore, the listeners must perceive that the arguments are relevant for the issue This cannot be done solely by lexical means even though linguistic performance is the most important factor (Charteris-Black, 2005:10)

According to Charteris-Black (2005), the effect of rhetorical strategies in political speeches is often a result of them being combined Therefore, it is as interesting to look at the interaction of various strategies as it is to look at each one separately (Charteris-Black, 2005:11) Jones and Wareing (1999) argue that the ability to convey the

message that the speaker and the listener want the same thing plays a decisive role in the process of establishing an ideology (Jones & Wareing, 1999: 34) To achieve a sense of congruence between audience and speaker, politicians often make use of symbols to foster national unity (Ball & Peters, 2000:81)

Since political speeches largely demonstrate the close relation with language power, word use and word play, it is interesting to treat political speeches as a form of literature where audience can enjoy the power and the beauty of language

Literary and Rhetorical Devices

Literature has a unique capacity to touch the hearts and minds and engage readers in a way that is distinctly different from other kinds

of texts This power is created through the use of elegant, measured, and harmonious words uttered or written words Literary and rhetorical devices are the two common effective tools used in literary works to achieve this power

Literary devices

In Braima‘s (2007) definition,, literary devices refers to specific aspects of literature, in the sense of its universal function as an art form which expresses ideas through language frequently employed by the writers to give meanings and a logical framework to their works through language When such works are read by readers, they can recognize, and ultimately identify, interpret and appreciate them Because of their

universality, they also allow the readers to compare a work of one writer

to that of the other to determine its worth They not only beautify the piece of literature but also give deeper meanings to it, testing the very understanding of the readers along with providing them enjoyment of reading Besides, they help motivating readers‘ imagination to visualize the characters and scenes more clearly Moreover, literary devices provide a conceptual framework for comparing individual literary works

to others both within and across genres

Literary devices generally comprise literary elements and literary techniques Literary Elements have an inherent existence in literary piece and are extensively employed by writers to develop a literary piece e.g plot, setting, narrative structure, characters, mood, theme, moral etc Writers simply cannot create his desired work without including Literary elements in a thoroughly professional manner Literary techniques, on the contrary, are structures usually a word s or phrases in literary texts that writers employ to achieve not merely artistic ends but also readers a greater understanding and appreciation of their literary works Some examples of literary techniques are metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, and allegory In contrast to literary elements, literary techniques are not unavoidable aspect of literary works

Significant Works of the Selected World Leaders Ho Chi Minh

(1890 – 1969), the founder and first leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party, led the movement for Vietnamese independence and unity through struggles with France and the United States, and also served as president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 1945 until his death in 1969

Thanks to Ho Chi Minh‘s great contribution to the independence and freedom of Vietnam and the liberation of the human race, UNESCO honored Ho Chi Minh ―a hero of the national liberation and a world cultural celebrity‖ who symbolizes meaning and value, an essential component of living tradition, and hence a touch stone for the culture of the nation (Mc Lean, 1991:27) The Ho Chi Minh thoughts and morals are very important components in the system of values, the measure of values and the orientation of values of the society and people of Vietnam today

While alive, Ho Chi Minh never considered himself a poet though

he did write a lot of literary works Ho Chi Minh‘s poetry signifies the soul, sentiment, thought and action and he used diverse techniques which bring consistency of different ideas His poem deals with diverse themes and target different layers of human feelings: philosophical, emotional and satirical layers He was keen to use puns, similes and metaphors but also straightforward and realistic With a subtle art, his poetry has proved highly inspirational and educational

Prison Diary was written during the time Ho Chi Minh was

imprisoned in Guangxi province (China) by the Kuomintang government The text comprises 133 poems written in Chinese characters, of which 126 of Tang ―Thất ngôn Tứ tuyệt‖ style (four verses, each consisting of 7 words).The Prison Diary is one of our most precious legacies left to the nation and the world by our great national leader Ho Chi Minh The diary is a strong embodiment of his revolutionary life and work In addition to its historical interest and significance, the diary is imbued with profound humanity, the values it expresses reflective of the generous and humane mind of a Communist thinker and leader who devoted his entire life to Vietnam‘s struggle for independence

Before he passed away, Ho Chi Minh wrote a historic Testament,

leading the way for the Vietnamese revolution to win victory in the cause of national liberation, unification and to firmly advance to

socialism The Testament of President Ho Chi Minh (1969) is an

invaluable historical document which crystallized ethical quintessence, and noble soul, and fundamental contents and viewpoints of Ho Chi Minh‘s ideology, mapping out orientations for current and future development of the Vietnamese revolution

Ho Chi Minh‟s Selected Articles and Speeches is a collection of

the President‘s writings and speeches during the period from 1920 to

1969, the main points of time in his life as a revolutionary cadre Ho Chi

Minh as a communist, as a revolutionary, a Party leader and the President of Vietnam has written a big number of articles and delivered different speeches, which should account for more than thousand pages

of book The selection in Ho Chi Minh‟s Selected Articles and Speeches

constitutes only some ten per cent of Ho Chi Minh‘s works However, the selections have been chosen so as to cover the main period of Ho Chi Minh‘s life and political activity, and to enable the reader to obtain

an idea of his thoughts and outlook over a period of nearly fifty years

The bulk of the selection cover writings and speeches at each stage of the Vietnam struggle, including materials on the Communist Party, the struggle against Japan and France, Ho‘s attitude to the French people, to puppet troops, and Catholics, questions of land reform, cadres, bureaucracy, intellectuals, guerrilla warfare, mass education, marriage and family democracy, the Soviet Union, the October Revolution, Leninism, key aspects of the liberation war against U.S imperialism and his last words before passing away

The chosen writings in the book reflect main political activities in

Ho Chi Minh‘s life as well as the Vietnamese revolution Therefore, the articles and speeches well exhibit Ho Chi Minh‘s Ideology expressed in ideological strategy on Continuous proletarian revolution: national liberation, building people‘s democracy and proceeding towards socialism, on national independence and the people‘s democratic

Margaret Thatcher wrote several books, most of which depicts

her life as a political leader The Collected Speeches of Margaret Thatcher (1997) consists of her most major speeches during her years

of leadership The book is an exhibition of how she developed that clear vision which would transform Britain and help shape international politics in the late 20th century They begin with the speeches she made

as part of her campaign to mold the ideas of the Conservative Party in Opposition They continue with the famous addresses in which she expressed her convictions as prime minister and include recent lectures

in which she gives her current, and controversial, thoughts about the world today

Since delivering his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama has been hailed as the clear savior of not only the Democratic party, but of the integrity of American politics Despite the fact that he burst onto the national scene seemingly overnight, his name recognition has grown by leaps and bounds ever

since Barack Obama in His Own Words, a book of quotes from the

Illinois Senator, allows those who aren't as familiar with his politics to learn quickly where he stands on abortion, religion, AIDS, his critics, foreign policy, Iraq, the War on Terror, unemployment, gay marriage, and a host of other important issues facing America and the world

Historical, Sociological and Philosophical Approaches in Literary Criticism As defined in the website of Britannica

Encyclopedia, literary criticism is the reasoned consideration of literary works and issues It applies to any argumentation about literature, whether or not specific works are analyzed There are many approaches to literary criticism, for example, traditional literary criticism, Marxist-Leninist criticism, feminist criticism, sociological and philosophical criticism

A historical approach to literary interpretation and analysis is perhaps the oldest and one of the most widely-used critical approach The historical approach involves understanding the events and experiences surrounding the composition of the work, especially the life

of the author, and using the findings to interpret that work of literature

Historical criticism explores the historical, social, political, and cultural contexts surrounding the creation and reception of a work of literature; it uses history as a means of understanding a literary work more clearly Historicists aim simultaneously to understand the work through its historical context and to understand cultural and intellectual history through literature Two premises of historical criticism are that the social, political, and cultural contexts (the historical influences) affect the creation of works of literature and that the meaning of literature changes over time as these same contexts change Historical criticism examines both the time period within the story and the time period in which the story was written The responses of the original audience are

of interest to the historical critic, as are the meanings and implications of specific words, symbols, images, and characters through time We can hardly understand characters' lives without some sense of the time and place in which they lived, and we can hardly understand the author's purpose without understanding the cultural norms and events during the writing of the work

Literary works are born out of very specific moments in history The work is infused with the values and events of that time, and, conversely, a powerful piece of literature can effectively influence the thinking and actions of its body of readers As such, considering the time period in which a literary work was created and the context of the story itself is an important analytical task Using Nineteen Eighty-Four,

write an essay in which you carefully examine how the inferential/evaluative level of the novel has been influenced by the historical events, values, politics, and conditions of Orwell's time Also, explain how Orwell uses the novel to comment on those same events, values, etc

Sociological Approach is literary criticism which is employed to analyze, place and understand literature in its larger social context The approach codifies the literary strategies that are utilized to represent social constructs through a sociological methodology Sociological criticism presents the analysis of both how the social functions in literature and how literature works in society This approach of literary criticism was first introduced by Kenneth Burke, a 20th-century literary and critical theorist, who employed his article "Literature As Equipment for Living" as the specification and significance of such a critique

Sociological Criticism bears influenced by New Criticism, but it adds a sociological element as found with critical theory and considers art as a manifestation of society The approach contains metaphors and references directly applicable to the existing society at the time of its creation According to Kenneth Burke, works of art, including literature,

"are strategic namings of situations" that allow the reader to better understand, and "gain a sort of control" (Adams, 942) over societal happenings through the work of art

Sociological Criticism differs from the basic trend of New Criticism

in the sense that New Criticism simply calls for a close textual reading without considering affective response or the author's intentions In this literary criticism, pieces of art and literature as systematic reflections of society and societal behavior are specifically considered The way in which the artworks achieve the author‘s intention is discovered to be strategically employed through the work, and thus suggestions to the standardization of the methods used by the artists and authors are made so as to be able to consider works of art within a social context

Another common approach to literary criticism is philosophical criticism, which asserts that larger purpose of literature is to teach morality and to probe philosophical issues In this approach of literary criticism, authors intend to instruct the audience in some way Philosophical approach is useful for works which do present an obvious moral philosophy and when the critics consider the themes of works Moreover, they do not view literature merely as ―art isolated from all moral implication, and they recognizes that literature can affect readers and that the message of a work is important

Philosophical approaches to literary analysis evaluate either the way a prevailing moral or religious viewpoint has influenced the content

of the text or the way a text poses and responds to pressing philosophical inquiries A moralist approach is a general philosophical approach in which a reader evaluates the way that an author

establishes ethical codes for right and wrong An existentialist approach assumes that individuals in texts are isolated from their environments, which are perceived as strange, alien and void of any inherent truth key tenants of existentialist philosophy Existentialist approaches are critical of representations of authenticity versus absurdity and subjective versus objective morality

Tran (2004) stated in his study that their political party considers Marxist-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh‘s thoughts the foundation of ideology and the compass of activities of the party and people Findings of this study showed that Ho Chi Minh‘s thought is a comprehensive system of viewpoints on the fundamental issues of the Vietnamese revolution and

the results of the application and creative development of Leninism in day to day life in Vietnam It is the inheritance and development of the nation‘s traditional values and the assimilation of the very essence of humanity It is the strategic and tactical theory on the revolution for national liberation and the advancement to socialism It is the science of the law of development of a semi-feudal and colonial society with a less developed economy It is the ideological system in the new era of the working class and people of different nationalities

Marxist-Nguyen‘s (2005) research also focused on Ho Chi Minh's thought

as a science, based on Marxism - Leninism and becoming the way - lighting torch for Vietnamese revolution Findings of the study showed that national independence united to socialism makes essential contents which penetrates completely Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary thought and career These contents are expressed not only in his thought on nation, on nation - class relationship and revolution for national liberation; on socialism and the way for building socialism; on great national union; on the combination of national force and times force; on Communist Party and building the State of the people, by the people, for the people, but also in Ho Chi Minh's ethical and cultural thoughts

Katwala‘s (2009) paper discovered the ideology in politics by carefully considering Margaret Thatcher‘s legacy He viewed Thatcherism as ideology in politics, the consequences of which reflect

the content, and flaws, of the particular ideology Margaret Thatcher sought to impose The author found that the political strength of Thatcherism was three-fold Firstly, the values, instincts and prejudices

of Thatcherism offered a clear enough framework to give the government an overall mission and agenda Secondly, the Thatcher governments were able to mobilise social constituencies who felt that the government was on their side, not least because they knew who it was against too Thirdly, Thatcher understood that effective political change depended not just on electoral success, but on a longer-term project to shift the environment in which elections are held.

Synthesis of Literature Reviewed

The foregoing literature reviewed yields basic truth that literary works can be a writer‘s channel for conveying his own philosophic ideas Writers who chose the social ethics as their orientation used poems, articles, letters and speeches as their channel of philosophic discourse Thus, in analyzing the works the reader shares with the characters their experiences and aspirations, which are reflected in the

thematic substance of the subject literary pieces

Likewise, the foregoing review reflects the treasured talent of

a Vietnamese moral philosopher and a symbol of revolutionary virtue As a prose and poem writer, Ho Chi Minh has resorted to letters and speeches to get his teachings across and he has always

wanted to reach out and involve his audiences and consciously

share with them his literature, which is engaged - committed Ho Chi

Minh certainly did not write poems, articles, letters and speeches simply for literary and artistic reasons, but also, his works were vehicles for conveying philosophic ideas lending weight on social ethics

The review of conceptual literature has provided the present study with some constructs that helped build up the theoretical framework on the truth that the meaning of human existence is the conscious and progressive manifestation of that principle or spring of everything The manifestation in men is ably signified by social ethics These constructs were drawn from the theories, concepts, and ideas of literary scholars and critics From these insights, the researcher drew out three general concepts which, in themselves, were constructs such

as (1) literature and philosophy, (2) Ho Chi Minh, his significant works and philosophy, (3) transformation in Vietnamese culture and society and (4) cultural and philosophical approaches in literary criticism

The analysis and interpretation of foreign literary pieces in English yield some findings which, when taken together, portray the man‘s search for meaningful existence through social ethics Every piece analyzed by the aforementioned researchers of literature dissects men‘s lives in its very philosophical meaning

The presentation and treatment of subject matter of each literary research tend to manifest the growing concern for the development of literature in English relative to the ideology Literary researchers have proved that Ho Chi Minh as a glorified symbol of culture has gone a long way in creative writing in English This goes to show that the embodiment for Vietnam‘s spirit of tolerance and humanitarianism have made Ho Chi Minh the symbol of pure internationalism struggling untiringly for the liberation of the human race

The studies reviewed tend to point out that all of the selections are related in as many ways with the present investigation and outlook Specifically, the ones that are closely related with the present work are the studies of Hoang (2002), Nguyen (2004), Tran (2004), Nguyen (2005), Tran (2007), Lam (2008), Le (2007), Nguyen (2008), Phung (2010), Syamsuddin (2010), Pham (2013) However, while these eleven studies analyzed Ho Chi Minh‘s poems, letters, articles and speeches, they expressed the social ethics as a signification force in life though varied in degrees and perspectives The perspectives indeed varied but the bottom line anchors on meaningful existence as it really

is These research literatures reviewed helped build up the framework about the truth of the connection between the beliefs or core values of a nation and a nation‘s culture The acceptance of new values has the power to create new cultures

In the light of differences among the studies reviewed, it can be manifested safely that this study does not in any way duplicate earlier researches However, the review of conceptual and research literature can be synthesized into one capsule: the tenet of social ethics provides the constructs for a philosophy to exist through the years Man cannot escape from his search for meaning, for upon this hinges the integrity and wholeness of one‘s being

Although these studies were able to trace the evolving themes on social ethics, particularly the question of meaningful existence as the signification of life, not one among the studies focused on the question

of social ethics as the signification of human existence neither were there extensive treatment of the national liberation, Thus, the review of literature has provided this study with the constructs for the theoretical framework from where the research hypothesis was synthesized, abstracted and pursued

Theoretical Framework

Theory on Normative Ethics or Moral Theory The field of

ethics or moral philosophy involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior Philosophers today usually divide ethical theories into three general subject areas:

metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics Metaethics

investigates where man‘s ethical principles come from, and what they

Finally, applied ethics involves examining specific controversial issues,

such as abortion, infanticide, animal rights, environmental concerns, homosexuality, capital punishment, or nuclear war (http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/)

As a branch of ethics, normative ethics, is the study of what makes actions right or wrong, what makes situation or events good or bad and what makes people virtuous or vicious The most important part of normative ethical theories are values, norms and virtues It is important to know the distinction between these three terms

The first part is moral values, the matters or convictions that are worth striving for in general Examples include justice, happiness, charity and such A distinction can be made between intrinsic values and instrumental values An intrinsic value is a value in itself: something that is worth striving for An instrumental value is a value that only contributes to an intrinsic value For instance, if one wants to get money