Abstract

The most important event on American politics of 2016 was the American presidential election. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were the two final candidates, and finally Trump won. As is known to all, being a kind of mass media, news is believed to follow the principles of “objectivity”, “fairness” and “independence”. But unlike previous elections, this time before the final result came out, nearly all American mainstream media tended to support Hillary, which could be seen from the use of rhetorical devices in the news reports. 

This thesis discusses the persuasive nature of rhetorical devices based on several news reports on the 2016 American presidential election in The Washington Post. The analysis finds out that simile, metaphor, rhetorical question, allusion, sarcasm, antithesis, parallelism, hyperbole, pun, parody and understatement are eleven specific rhetorical devices adopted in the news reports. The purpose of using these rhetorical devices is to persuade readers to stand on Hillary’s side and persuade readers that Trump is not eligible to become the president. 

The result of the thesis can reveal the American underlying ideologies of capital-driven modes. The result can also help readers comprehend the profound meaning of English news reports and make their own judgments to take a firm stance. 

Keywords: American presidential election; rhetorical devices; persuasion; ideologies

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 The Persuasive Nature of Rhetoric-1

1.2 Purpose and Significance of the Study-2

1.3 Research Data and Methodology-2

2. Analysis of News Reports about the 2016 American Presidential Election in The Washington Post-4

2.1 A Brief Introduction of the 2016 American Presidential Election-4

2.2 Rhetorical Devices Used in News Reports-5

2.2.1 Simile and Its Function-6

2.2.2 Metaphor and Its Function-7

2.2.3 Rhetorical Question and Its Function-8

2.2.4 Allusion and Its Function-9

2.2.5 Sarcasm and Its Function-10

2.2.6 Antithesis and Its Function-11

2.2.7 Parallelism and Its Function-11

2.2.8 Hyperbole and Its Function-12

2.2.9 Pun and Its Function-13

2.2.10 Parody and Its Function-14

2.2.11 Understatement and Its Function-15

2.3 Persuasive Effects of Rhetorical Devices-16

3. Ideologies of News Reports about the 2016 American Presidential Election in The Washington Post-17

3.1 The Revelation of American Values and Social Consciousness-17

3.2 The Meaning for Readers-17

4. Conclusion-18

References-19