Exploring the Hillary Clifton’s Speech “Super Tuesday”: A Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) Approach

Abstract

Critical discourse analysis is a method of investigating the links connecting language and the political and social settings where it emerges. The present research is a corpus-based qualitative analysis that does a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Hillary Clinton's “Super Tuesday” Victory Speech. The findings of this study are based on Fairclough's CDA model. According to Fairclough, CDA is divided into three stages. This model aided me in comprehending and analyzing this discourse. Fairclough's theory suggests that meanings are produced through interpretations, and the key ideological components of Hillary Clinton's speech are liberalism, inclusive acceptance of religion, and ethnic diversity. The prominent word "We" in her speech emphasizes equality and unity, as she is a female politician with an outstanding record of accomplishments. She uses her power of speech to gain trust and favor by promising good jobs and equal rights, and encouraging people to resist those who divide them apart. Active voices are prominent in the speech, showing stronger connections to actions by using fewer words to communicate the same information. Assertive speech acts are used to commit the speaker to the truth of a proposition, and the rule of three is repeatedly used to emphasize the meanings and help the audience remember her message.