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Article published In:
Metaphor and the Social World
Vol. 10:1 (2020) ► pp.1–21

No sympathy for the bully

A metaphor analysis of two speeches on the topic of immigration

| Portland State University
| Portland State University
| Portland State University
| Portland State University

This paper is part of a project begun at Portland State University that examines political polarization through metaphor analysis (Ritchie, Feliciano, & Sparks, 2018). The current study looks at two sources of discourse on immigration in the United States, each exemplifying opposing sides of the larger immigration debate. The first source is a speech by then presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally, and the second is Senator Kamala Harris’s maiden speech delivered on the Senate floor. The goal of this analysis is to investigate the way metaphors may be used in political discourse to demonstrate or create polarization between opposing sides of the debate.

Keywords: immigration, polarization, autonomy, victimization, dehumanization, Trump, Harris
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Methods
  • 3.Analysis
    • 3.1Trump’s speech in Phoenix
      • 3.1.1 immigrants are a fluid
      • 3.1.2Bringing in, taking out
      • 3.1.3 usa is a victim (and a bully)
      • 3.1.4A two-way street
      • 3.1.5The Trojan Horse
    • 3.2Harris’s maiden speech in Washington, D.C.
      • 3.2.1“I Rise…”
      • 3.2.2Standing on shoulders
      • 3.2.3 naturalization is a journey
      • 3.2.4A climate of fear
      • 3.2.5 politics is war
  • 4.Discussion
    • 4.1Victimization and war
    • 4.2Autonomy
    • 4.3The nature of citizenship
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 1 May 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/msw.19001.atk
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