LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 11 : 9 September 2011
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.


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Intertextual Semiosis: An Analysis of Implications of The White Man’s Burden on Speeches of Albert J. Beveridge and President George W. Bush

Shahzad-ul-Hassan Farooqi


Abstract

This research paper studies as to how intertextual semiosis is involved in linking various texts of different genres with a larger discursive pattern. In this regard the paper examines dominant determinants of American political rhetoric as used by Senator Albert J. Beveridge at the beginning of 20th century and President George W. Bush at the outset of 21st century and how both political figures, although disjunctive in time, intertextually draw upon Rudyard Kipling’s poem The White Man’s Burden. The significance of the poem’s ideas and linguistic features is studied along with their implication for political rhetoric reflected in speeches of these two personalities. Intertextual analysis brings out an imperialistic mindset, a hegemonic ideology expressed in a narrative pattern, which permeates the political rhetoric used by these two political figures, under the influence of this poem which was written in 1899.

Key Words/Terms: Intertextuality, Semiosis, Political Rhetoric.

1. Introduction

Texts are inextricably embedded in society. They make meaning by being grounded in dominant discourses of society and are structured through discursive practices fabricated in linguistically established features which people of a particular community adopt as communicative narratives. In order to ascertain as to what texts mean, it is important to determine as to which discourse they draw upon. In this regard intertextuality helps us find out the particular frame of reference within which we can ground a text for its interpretation.

Since antiquity, rhetorical use of language has been hallmark of political texts like speeches by leaders for capturing the public opinion. Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively (Marriam-Webster’s online dictionary, 2011) and its primary purpose is to convince and persuade others. Like other texts, political texts are also intertextually structured by incorporating socially popular discourses, beliefs and ideologies which are considered unquestionable and true. These ideological beliefs carried in popular discourses are perpetuated through repetition so that people get more and more influenced by them. The more deeply a text is grounded in a popular discourse, the more convincing it will be. American political rhetoric also follows a linguistic pattern of drawing upon particular ideological beliefs. My text samples of American political rhetoric are speeches of political figures. These texts are simultaneously a government’s perspective as well as a view of public representatives. This paper is an effort to determine as to how intertextual semiosis is involved in designing this political rhetoric, which, at two different points in history, is embedded in themes and ideas expressed in Kipling’s poem The White Man’s Burden.


This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.


Shahzad-ul-Hassan Farooqi
National University of Modern Languages
Islamabad
Pakistan shahzadf2001@gmail.com

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