Women Finally Speak: Oprah's Speech Analysis

After giving her inspiring speech at the Golden Globes, women in Hollywood have asked Oprah Winfrey to vie for President in the United States come 2020. In her speech, Oprah highlighted on social justice and women rights and called people to fight racial dissemination and sexual abuse. Oprah bonded her story of rags to wealth and fame with the extortion of the freedom of the press sexual assault, justices and the sacrifices made by farm workers, maids, among others. Oprah Winfrey's speech after being the lifetime achievement award, Cecil B Deville, highlighted the night with the battle cries of feminism. She told Racy Taylor's story, who after enduring rape went against the injustice in the Jim Crow period. She said that for a ladies have been ignored for a long period of time. Their voice is not heard or accepted even if they try to speak of how men overpower women. Oprah Winfrey causing an applause from the listeners, but according to her, their time has run out. (Oprah).

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It is deducible that Oprah's speech was successful since she received numerous applauds and she engaged the audience form the beginning to the end. Oprah delivered a speech that made the case and spoke out even without anyone uttering a word. Oprah lights on the invisible influence of supporting personal truths. In most cases, there is the truth and there is the personal truth but Oprah uses metaphors, and illusions, making strong arguments that everyone should speak their truth regardless of what the society holds as the truth. She begins by detailing on how as a young girl, she was inspired by Sidney Poitier, after she won the Oscar. Like her, she won the Cecil B. DE Mille award and she says that there could be young girls watching her receiving the award as the first black woman. By saying this, Oprah portrays herself as a link to an invisible chain of influence.

Winfrey highlights on how Racy Taylor influenced Rosa Parks. Taylor was willing to speak the truth about how she was brutally assaulted by some white men. Women such as Taylor Parks, who were willing to speak their personal truths ensured that Winfred's speech had a greater influence. By dramatizing Taylor's story, a story that all the audience had heard before, she implied that Taylor's situation influenced her decisions to seat on the bus in Montgomery. No one knows if this is true, but in Oprah's speech it feels true. Hence, she concluded by saying that 'Time is up' for men who are brutal and those how discriminate against women. Their time is up because unlike what society has set for them, women have their own truth and they were willing to march forth. This was an important line in the civil rights movement and it was served from the Republic's Battle Him. This harnessed Oprah Winfrey's influenced on speaking individual truth. The stress on individual truth builds up in the last section, emphasizing on the metaphor on the sun rising, calling on women to uphold hope in a 'brighter morning'. She says that soon there will be a new day and that in the new days, the 'me too' movement will be no more. Through metaphors and demonstrations, she asks her listeners to speak their truth even if the society does not seem to accept it.

Oprah Winfrey's speech is engaging because it relies on classical style. In the beginning, it is evident that she applies tricolor saying that is a golden opportunity to impart the night to every one of them and furthermore with the men and who had inspired her, strengthening her to be the woman she is now and positioning in the platform she in (Oprah). In this sentence, she uses three phrases which have the same length. In the middle of the speech Oprah uses different stylistic devices, she indicates that numerous women have been oppressed. She says, that the world will never know of these women and they are farm laborers and maids (Oprah). She repeats at the end of each phrase, hence, epostrophe. She later uses anaphora where repetition is applied at the start of the phrase. She says that they are factory laborers, farm laborers and waiters Oprah). She also lists topics (enumeration) and also adds more contusions to phrases (polysundeton). She saying that they work in manufacturing plants and are employed in eateries and they are also in the scholarly community, designing, prescription, and science. They constitute the universe of tech and governmental issues and economics (Oprah).

The speech was a story of truth especially speaking truth to power. She began by highlighting the beginning of the Civil rights movement and she connected this to the present day. Hence the speech assumes a poetic rhythm. The speech has serious content but it is delivered with empathy and it is not funny, but it is delivered as a classic morality tale. Oprah delivered this speech from the heart and hence takes full advantage of the platform.

Oprah delivered the speech fluently, it looked easy and she knew her words. She also knew where to pause and where to use low or high intonation. She also knew where applause would fall. Her speech was delivered at the right time. She introduced a topic when the audience was ready and wanted to hear it. Oprah's speech was timely since it came after abuse of power, allegations of sexual assaults and increases racial prejudice. She craftily and firmly rebukes how Donald Trump attacked the press. Even though she did not mention him by name, the listeners were aware of who he was talking about. She also applied ethos by talking about her career struggles and how she succeeded. The speech was well structured, which shows she used logos and pathos through the moving stories. Oprah had also rehearsed her speech, hence she was able to maintain eye contact all through. It was a simple speech but based on the mode of delivery and the timing, it had a great impact. This is evident from the audience reactions. Oprah brought hope to the women in that room. Oprah, appreciates all women how were courageous enough to talk about what they have been going through since through them, other women realized their courage to talk and air their stories. She also extended her regards to all the women who have not yet given their stories since when women decide to talk the men listen. Oprah Winfrey did not only come out strong, but she inspired many in the room and in the whole world. To the women, Oprah Winfrey is a hero.

The speech won Oprah some fans, since many people asked her to vie for president. Hence it is deducible that she accomplished her objective, using her voice to speak for the many women who cannot or do not have the courage to speak out. Oprah highlighted on the #Me too movement, she took a huge risks that reaped some benefits since it inspired and moved people to even think of having a woman as their president. Hence even though she may not run, she will definitely have a huge impact on the 2022 presidential elections. It was an emotional speech and any woman who listened will lead a different life. Women should say no to domestic violence, they should say no to the glass ceiling and they should cease very opportunity they get to empower themselves. Women are their own enemies and as Oprah said, unless women speak out and support each other, they will still live in the dark. It is time to rise up and give women the respect they deserve.