Rhetorical devices

In her Victory Speech, Kamala Harris uses several rhetorical devices which help her get her message across in a convincing and impactful way.

Antithesis

Harris uses antithesis when she refers to the United States’ recent history and acknowledges the difficult context the election has taken place in. She mentions people’s “grief, sorrow, and pain” as well as “the worries and the struggles” people have faced in the past months. However, she contrasts these with people’s “courage”, “resilience”, and “generosity” of spirit, which have been revealed during the challenging times people have been through. The antithesis between the negative emotions people have been feeling as a result of the difficult situation and the positive qualities they have displayed despite th...