Topic

Michelle Obama mainly focuses on the theme of the American Dream in her Democratic Convention speech. She does this by looking at both her husband’s and her own individual experiences and at the common experiences of American citize…

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The American Dream

The parts of the speech that are related to Michelle and Barack Obama’s individual experiences are generally directed towards their families. She helps the audience imagine herself and her husband as the embodiment of the American Dream, as both of them came from modest working-class families that supported them and gave them the opportunity to grow and succeed.

She believes that working hard assures great opportunities, no matter the circumstances in which one was born. For example, Michelle Obama states that her parents …

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Argumentation

Michelle Obama uses both direct and indirect argumentation in her speech, but her speech mostly relies on indirect/hidden argumentation.

One example of a direct argument is the following: “Because I believe that each of us — no matter what our age or background or walk of life — each of us has something to contribute to the life of this nation.” (ll. 154-156).

Through indirect argumentation, Michelle Obama suggests that voting for…