Rhetorical Analysis Of Stan Grant's Speech

Improved Essays
The given extract is a speech delivered by Stan Grant on Racism and Australian dream in 2016 at Ethics Centre, Sydney, Australia. He primarily targets the audience belonging to Australia. With the use sarcastic and confronting tone speaker expresses his disappointment and serve his purpose to inform the audience about the historical brutality suffered by the aborigines with the use rhetorical questions, anaphora, and juxtaposition.
Stan Grant at the start of his speech uses rhetorical question “Who are we? What sort of country do we want to be?” and alliteration “We heard a howl. We heard a howl of humiliation” to state his arguments that make the audience reflect back on their actions and make them familiarize with the suffering the aboriginals
…show more content…
He constantly quotes verses from the anthem, but then, immediately also quotes historical events, and his own personal experiences, which contrast heavily with the verse. The juxtaposition present allows the audience to see the many faults, the many differences between the apparent “Australian Dream” and reality, as, after all, the anthem is a representation of Australian’s dream. The attack combined with the juxtaposition also isolates the reader if they decide to disagree with Grant, due to the strong, negative language used to describe the Australian Dream, as it acts as a reflection on Australians themselves, and positions the reader to side with …show more content…
It compels the reader to imagine the situation those subject to racism must face. It forces readers to view the soldiers in the “War of extermination” in all their bloodlust and hate. It forces disgust upon the readers.
Grant used such language in conjunction with emotive language, to paint a picture. This appeals to an audience’s sense of sorrow, of empathy, and of disgust. A listener or reader is able to feel empathy for those Grant described, weakening any opposing view, and manipulating them to side with Grant. Further, combined with the many attacks mentioned earlier, and now feeling of disgust, the opposition is further alienated, with such emotions as disgust and hates now coming from them, Grant’s position is solidified.
He concludes by returning to the line from the Australian that he referenced at the beginning. He thus has a circular ending. But, more so, he also states that while it is true that his argument has been that "The Australian Dream" is not what it makes itself out to be, he has hopes that it could be. “And one day, I want to stand here and be able to say as proudly and sing as loudly as anyone else in this room, Australians all, let us rejoice.” He even emphasizes the "all" show that even he believes it could happen. Grant finishes with a touch of hope, claiming even though the Australian dream is what it is made out to be, it could

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Since Reeves was paralyzed he knew how hard it was for everyone else with a disability and he wanted to speak for them since he was a famous figure everyone adored. At the Democratic Convention Reeves talked about how everyone in America was a family and how we needed to help the disabled by increasing research investments and passing the Americans with Disabilities Act. In his speech Christopher Reeves used diction,details and emotions to achieve his goal about passing the Americans with Disabilities Act In his speech Christopher Reeves said that we had heard a lot about family values and how everyone in America was a family. Reeves uses this so he can make people realize how people we know and family members could be affected by disabilities.…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John Green made the right decision by opening his speech with a story. Even so, his delivery techniques could use improvement. For example, within the first thirty seconds Green activated his PowerPoint presentation by turning his back to the audience, and pointing the clicker directly at the screen. Within the first minute of his speech Green also stuttered, and added the filler word “uh” in unnecessarily. Green continued on with an inward tisk about a minute and seventeen seconds in.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Keating Redfern Speech

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Keating recognised responsibility for the high incidence of violent crime, alcoholism and chronic drug use in Redfern when he referred alliteratively to the ‘devastation and demoralisation’ evident within communities like Redfern as a ‘plight’ that affects us all. The combination of emotive and inclusive language effective conveys his argument that our humanity and national identity will remain as long as Aboriginal Australians live in the metaphorical ‘shadows’. His final words offer cautious optimism while maintaining that ‘we’ still ‘owe indigenous Australians’ and have a lot to learn from them- ‘We are beginning to recognise…. We are learning…. We are beginning to see.’…

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nothing is impossible. At some point everything in this world was impossible, until someone broke the barrier to make it all possible. Speaker Mack Ebeling does a wonderful job explaining the barrier he broke when faced with a difficult task, as well as inspiring the audience to challenge anything that is considered impossible. Ebeling, however does not reach this point until the end of his speech. This effect adds a deeper thought process for the audience, letting them think about how he broke the impossible, before he even puts the idea of nothing being impossible in their heads.…

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Henry Reynolds’s non-fiction novel ‘Why weren't we told’ is a social justice essay and personal journal communicating his personal response to the injustice towards Indigenous Australians. Reynolds’ choice of language, medium and textual form influence how his perspective is received and shape the meaning of the text. Reynolds’ presents his political perspective and purpose in his monograph as he argues for the reconciliation of Indigenous and white Australians to advocate the progress of native title. He challenges responders to reevaluate their own perspective of Australia's past through the use of two competing political views. The memoir structure enables Reynolds to create an intimate appeal to the audience by drawing upon personal anecdotes.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Racism In The Secret River

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be reworked, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” The acknowledgement of history is vital in an individual’s progression to remedy past mistakes. “The Secret River” illustrates a narrative about 19th Century Australia, whilst simultaneously making comment on the treatment of Indigenous Australian’s at the time. The racist attitudes of the white settlers in the story can also be seen as the foundation of contemporary-day Australia’s casual racism. “The Secret River” articulates a vivid image of the unjust atrocities that the Aboriginal people encountered.…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    White American abolitionist, Wendell Phillips, in his 1861 discourse, shows the force and quality of political pioneer and progressive, Toussaint-Louverture. Phillips' motivation is to remind his group of onlookers that legends have originated from the most improbable individuals, and accordingly, African-Americans ought to be permitted to serve in the military. By embracing a reverent and reflective tone, appealing to pathos and logos, and using historical and mythological allusions throughout his speech, Phillips convinces his ambivalent gathering of people to receive his conviction that African-Americans ought to be permitted to join the Civil War endeavors. Phillips opens his discourse by insinuating two extraordinary pioneers before him, Washington and Napoleon, who have served their nations, keeping in mind the end goal to build up ethos and sentiment with his gathering of people.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Aboriginalities essay “How have settler constructions of aboriginal people affected aboriginal peoples?” The settler voice towards aboriginal peoples, has ingrained constructs i.e. stereotypes, into society. These stereotypes have inflicted harm and severely affected aboriginal people throughout history and to this day, but in what ways and through which medians do these coloniser interpretations express themselves in society? And what are the responses of the aboriginal peoples who are concerned?…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    aspects of their identity, but brought up in White households without any semblance of their culture and forbidden to express any of their memories from their former lives. They were not allowed to speak their native language and contact with their families – if any existed - was limited and closely monitored and controlled. The fear of an essential genocide scarred an identity of victimhood within the Indigenous people (Laqueur, 2010). While the Indigenous narrative was grounded in victimhood, the Australian master narrative at the time was one of the savior.…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The film watched during lecture called the War Against the Indians depicts the reality of Aboriginals. Through this film it is made clear that Western civilization has been based on myths. With colonisation Aboriginals have lost their culture and their traditions have been displaced. Marchak (2011) argues for Natives are connected spiritually to their land and because of colonization their land has been destroyed (p.16). In other words, “to destroy the land is to destroy them” (Marchak, 2011, p.16).…

    • 311 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    In ‘Son of mine’ the son and us realises the theme of the discrimination and racism against the aboriginal people and this evidence of an unexpected discovery for son and the audience. ‘Puzzled hurt by colour line’, “What can I tell you son of mine?” Then rhetorical question which helps the audience and son discover the mother feelings towards…

    • 1062 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jack Davis uses poetry to provide a voice that helps us understand the culture that he lives in and his true identity. In order to prove the thesis statement, I will discuss the theme, poetic devices, and Jack Davis’s use of poetry and the way he uses imagery to symbolize his culture and identity. The main theme of Jack Davis’s poem “let go” is of Aboriginal people getting held back from their full potential by the white people. In lines 1 & 2, “ let go of my hand, let me be what I want to be” proves that the white people has changed the Aboriginals culture so much that the aboriginals cant achieve their full potential.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Morris very successfully demonstrates this false dichotomy through contrasting he period accounts of men like the stockman Thomas Foster, who despite testifying that he “observed nothing in them” to indicate fear or treachery was still concerned for his safety when travelling with Aboriginal men. Even slightly more positive depictions such as Clement Hodgkinson’s note that Aboriginals are closer to nature than “civilised Europeans” still defines them as an “other” and falls into the trap of only viewing them through a European perspective. The ability of Morris to show that regardless of whether Aboriginals are portrayed as a noble, romantic savage or as a violent, predatory savage they are still being defined through a European framework – and therefore framed as the colonial other – is vital to the understanding of the Aboriginal experience as a whole. He is able to convey the notions of Pierre Bourdieu – that while not engaging in physical violence themselves, the colonial institutions forcefully imposed cultural norms and practices, while attempting to eradicate the Aborigine “otherness” (Kalman,…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    An apology will mean a monumental weight has been lifted from people's shoulders. Visual language is used to create imagery empower the aboriginal Australians by describing and depicting the emotions of the stolen generation. Successful words…

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    para 8). Bolt employs many of the techniques of evaluation. Firstly, he compares Bill Leak’s appraisal of indigenous issues with the death of an aboriginal boy taking great strides of logic between … . He finds fault . He ‘punches down’ on individuals, not up to systems and structures which are reinforced, that is that aboriginal issues are not white issues and they of their own making.…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays