Person Deixis in 2019 UK General Election Campaign: Analysis on the Use of We and They in Jeremy Corbyn’s and Boris Johnson’s Rally Speeches

Year 2023, Issue: 40, 51 - 60, 29.12.2023

Buse Binici

https://doi.org/10.26650/jol.2023.1316311

Abstract

Personal deixis is frequently employed and occasionally used discursively in political speeches. This article explores the use of the person deixes we and they in the 2019 rally speeches of Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson. Drawing on Huang’s (2014), Arroyo’s (2015), Vladimirou’s (2007), and Halliday’s (2004) taxonomies, the study investigates person deixes to understand their rhetorical roles. The study utilizes a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze a self-compiled corpus. The objectives of the study are as follows: to identify instances of personal deixis, specifically the pronouns we and they; to calculate their frequency; to categorize and analyze the identified instances; and to compare the rhetorical styles of the two former candidates. The results indicate that both candidates employ persuasive discourse. They opt for the exclusive we to emphasize their plans and objects and for the inclusive we to foster a sense of unity with the British people. Johnson favors the opponent they to refer to opponents, distinguishing his approach from Corbyn’s. The research contributes to the understanding of person deixis used discursively and rhetorical strategies employed in rally speeches.

Keywords

Person deixis, Jeremy Corbyn, Boris Johnson, rally speeches, deixis

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