Words and Ideas in the State of the Union, Part I

A few nights ago, President Obama addressed the nation with the State of the Union. I watched. If you don’t already know, I am not a very political person, but this year I’ve been trying to ecome more knowledgeable. (For my first experience with a political debate, click here!)

Similarly to that previous experience, I wasn’t sure what to expect and was a little nervous about keeping up. Like SotU teen guest Amy Chyao, “I don’t think I’ve ever watched the whole thing before”. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I understood and got out of the speech. This is the first of a two-part series of the SotU, and will focus on one of Obama’s rhetorical strategies.

I noticed that Obama peppered key phrases throughout his speech. I disagree with media trainer TJ Walker when he asserts that there were not “a lot of memorable phrases or sound bites”. I thought that Obama developed a few cohesive and effective expressions. He entertained the idea of the “American Family” as all citizens of the United States. This was representative of much of his narrative, as he tried to appeal to both Democrats and Republicans as much as possible. He generally did not reference either party individually and instead emphasized the need for them to work together. There would have been very different connotations if he referred to the American people as an army or a team.

I think this phrase channeled the unity he is seeking quite nicely and also promotes wholesomeness and supportiveness within the nation. However, it could be used pejoratively to separate the US from other nations.

Another key phrase Obama used was “winning the future”, which was used a total of 10 times during the address. (For a full transcript, click here!) I thought this set up an interesting metaphor: the future is a dichotomy that has only two possible results, winning or losing. This could be potentially dangerous as it also reiterates an us-versus-them mindset. In school, we discussed that a speech like the State of the Union (which aims to unify our nation, not appeal globally) is difficult to write without proclaiming American exceptionalism.

I wonder, is there really other way to do this? Can we promote ourselves without trying to outdo other nations? That might require a drastic change in metaphor. The US would have to recognize itself as a player on a global team, or maybe a nuclear family within a much larger family tree.

Want to see something cool? Here's a Wordle of the most commonly used words in the State of the Union address.

A Book to Sink Your Teeth Into

Happy Holidays!

There are so many fantastic things about winter break: hot chocolate, celebrating (or eating Asian food on) Christmas, and just relaxing with family. But one of the best things about it for me is the opportunity to curl up with a good book. I have always been a voracious reader, but during high school, it’s been exceedingly difficult to find time to read for fun. I’d like to share with you one of the delightful books that I read over break: Tender at the Bone, by Ruth Reichl.

Tender at the Bone is a memoir chronicling the experiences of Ms. Reichl’s life that ultimately lead her to her ideal career as an acclaimed restaurant critic. For someone whose life is dedicated to writing about food, she definitely knows how to write a good story. The novel is heartwarming and stomach-grumbling, dotted with anecdotes, recipes and exquisite food descriptions. Yet its literary merit should not be unsung; Reichl’s tone and techniques are very effective and should be valued.

Reichl focuses on specific stories from her life that are intertwined with the common theme of food. She narrates in a very conversational, personal voice. Her honesty, humor, and recounting of events that are so ridiculous they must be true (ex. trying to save dinner guests from her mother’s potentially poisonous meals; flying to North Africa on a whim; living communally in California) made me unable to put the book down.

My favorite part is when Reichl goes to her first job as a critic. She’s unsure, but as soon as she begins the meal, she’s surrounded by a crowd of ghosts from her past: a critical waitress she worked with, a kindly restaurant owner, a friend’s French father who introduced her to fine cuisine. She explains, “With this chorus of voices the review practically wrote itself.” I love this part of the novel because it brings all of her prior experiences together in one spectacular moment.

Reichl ‘s life was a unstructured, winding path until that moment. This gives me so much hope because I am quite uncertain about my future. I especially saw myself in Ms. Reichl during her more turbulent teen years, when she was disenchanted with her parents and had no idea where she’d end up. This book has shown me that it’s okay to be uncertain in life, as long as you enjoy the wonderful people, places, and food that you encounter along the way. If you want a good read, this will definitely satisfy your appetite.