EUROPEAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Vol. III, Issue 10/ January 2016

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A Pragma-Rhetoric Analysis of Persuasion

JINAN AHMED KHALEEL

Assistant Professor
NAWAL MAHMOOD ABED
M.A. Candidate
College of Education for Women
Baghdad University, Iraq

Abstract:
This research is a pragma-rhetorical analysis of persuasion in
one interview with Nelson Mandela in 1991. It aims at identifying
instances of persuasion used by Mandela in his interview before the
presidential era of his life. Also it is meant to clarify Mandela's
persuasive strategies used to affect and persuade his audience. To
achieve these aims, Mandela's persuasive language is analyzed by the
researchers to examine the extent to which figures of speech are utilized
by him. Then, an analysis is performed to investigate the way that
Grice's maxims (of quantity, quality, relation, and manner) are flouted
by Mandela in using these rhetorical figures to achieve his persuasive
goal. The analysis carried out in this paper includes identifying
specific tropes: metaphor, pun, overstatement, understatement, and
rhetorical question as persuasive devices. This paper is expected to be
of benefit to show how persuasion can be created by using different
figures of speech. Besides, it will bridge a gap in this field of knowledge
by applying a Pragma-Rhetorical analysis through which Mandela's
chosen interview will be examined thoroughly.

Key words: Pragmatics, persuasion, rhetoric, pragma-rhetoric,

figures of speech.

1. INTRODUCTION
Persuasion is one of the most powerful and most effective
human tools within the community. The primary objective of

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persuasion is to show how this strategy enables one to change

one's thoughts and feelings towards a particular subject.
Halmari & Virtanen (2005:3-4) define persuasion as "all
linguistic behavior that attempts to either change the thinking
or behavior of an audience, or to strengthen its beliefs, should
the audience already agree". Furthermore, understanding more
about a persuasion process, they believe, requires learning
more about human nature. The process of persuasion includes
the contribution of the audiences, interlocutors, and onlookers.
The present paper includes a prama-rhetorical analysis of
persuasive strategies used in Nelson Mandela's interview
(1990) after his release from jail after 27 years of
imprisonment.
The reason behind selecting this interview as data to be
analyzed can be attributed to two main reasons: first, Nelson
Mandela is widely considered one of the most inspiring and
iconic figures and leaders of our age. Fletcher (2012:56) affirms
that Nelson Mandela actually has an extremely motivation to
lead; he would constantly be "the first to volunteer in any
difficult situation". As a good leader, Mandela has thoroughly
known and understood his people and how to motivate them.
Second, According to Kanu (2009: 70) "all interviews contain
elements of both information and persuasion". This indicates
that the interviewee is trying to persuade his audiences by
affecting their attitudes, or behaviors whenever the
"information is communicated". The main focus of the present
paper is to clarify how persuading and convincing others are
the pragmatic goals that a speaker wishes to attain by using
different rhetorical strategies.
The researchers intend to investigate how persuasion can
be achieved by using certain figures of speech, more specifically,
'Tropes' of metaphor, pun, overstatement, understatement, and
rhetorical question. Furthermore, it highlights the fact that
persuasion can also be created by flouting Grice's maxims of
quality, quantity, relevance, and manner as a consequence of

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using these figures of speech. By using different approach, this

paper as a pragma-rhetorical research of persuasion is different
from other studies such as: A Rhetorical Analysis of the English
Speeches of Queen Rania of Jordan a thesis written by Ali
Amaireh (2013), a discourse analysis study. A Politeness View of
Persuasion in ESL/EFL (2005) by Dolores and Pastor is an
attempt to clarify persuasion from a pragmatic view.

2. AN OVERVIEW OF PRAGMATICS

Levinson (1983:1) points out that the term Pragmatics dated

back to Carles Moris (1938), who defined pragmatics as "the
study of the relation of signs to interpreters". Pragmatics, as
Mey (2009:744) states, "is concerned with meaning in the
context of language use". Essentially, our communication via
language often includes other meanings beyond what we said,
i.e. " there is often a gap between speaker meaning and
sentence meaning". Pragmatics includes several theories that
have a great contribution to the study of language use in
communication such as speech act theory, presupposition,
politeness, and turn-taking, etc. The term 'implicature' as
indicated by Mey (ibid: 365) is firstly used by the philosopher
Paul Grice in his influential article "logic and conversation".
According to Grice's approach, "what is implicated" and "what
is said" are involved in the speaker's intended meaning. Grice
(1975:44-45) distinguishes two types of implicature:
'conventional implicature' and 'conversational implicature'. He
states that a 'conventional implicature' is detected by the
traditional meaning of the word uttered. In some situations, the
conventional meanings of the words uttered will specify the
implicated meaning as well as helping to identify what is
literally said. He represents a conversational implicature as a
particular category which, as he asserts, is mainly associated
with specific general properties of conversation such as the
cooperative principles (CP) and the conversational maxims. It

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gives a candid significance for the possibility to convey another

meaning more than what the speaker indeed said i.e. "More
than what is literally expressed by the conventional sense of
the linguistic expressions uttered". Grice distinguishes four
maxims that have to be 'obeyed' by each participant:
1. Maxim of Quantity: make your contribution as
informative as is required (for the current purposes of
the exchange). Do not make your contribution more
informative than is required.
2. Maxim of Quality: do not say what you believe to be
false. Do not say that for which you lack adequate
evidence.
3. Maxim of Relation: be relevant.
4. Maxim of Manner: avoid obscurity of expression, avoid
ambiguity, be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity), and
be orderly (Grice 1975: 45- 46).

Thomas (1995:64) sheds light on Grice's awareness of many

occasions on which people experience a failure to observe and
follow the maxims. He also indicates five ways of non-observing
these maxims as:
• Flouting a maxim
• Violating a maxim
• Infringing a maxim
• Opting out of a maxim
• Suspending a maxim

There are many reasons for failing to follow the maxims such as
people who are unable to speak clearly, or maybe intentionally
want to deceive others. He asserts that flouting a maxim is
regarded as the most significant type for generating a
conversational implicature (an additional meaning). Grice
(1975:49:58) and Thomas (1995: 65) indicate that a flouting
happens in situations within which a speaker " blatantly fails
to observe a maxim"; basically, the speaker's intention is not to

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deceive or mislead others, but to stimulate the hearer or

hearers to seek for the additional meaning, i.e. generating a
conversational implicature that includes a different meaning
from the apparent meaning.

3. RHETORIC

Rhetoric original status was in the works of Aristotle, Isocrates,

and Plato. Roberts (2004:3-7) shows that Aristotle prefaced his
Book 1 by indicating that rhetoric is "the counterpart of
dialectic"; he defines rhetoric as "the faculty of observing in any
given case the available means of persuasion". The art of
rhetoric deals with the power of recognizing the modes of
persuasion on different subjects produced to us. Bivins
(2008:131) confirms that a great deal of Aristotle's work was
passed to us from one generation to the next. His work on
rhetoric which takes into consideration the subject of
persuasion is regarded as one of his most significant works.
Rhetoric, as referred to by McQuarrie and Phillip (2008:3), is an
"ancient discipline that was fundamental to Western thought
for over 2,000 years". Presently, rhetoric is thriving once again
in accordance to the development of the media which
concentrates on the analyses and broad variations of "consumer
research" that are involved within different "humanities and
social sciences disciplines".

4. PRAGMA-RHETORIC

The relationship between pragmatics and rhetoric is referred to

by Archer et al (2012:148-149) as the way language is used to
affect others and to change their act towards a certain way.
This is implied into a pragmatic view on language.
Persson and Ylikoski (2007:55) mention that according to
Bitzer "a work of rhetoric is pragmatic; it comes into existence
for the sake of something beyond itself". Rhetoric plays an

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important role in producing an action or changing the world.

Besides, rhetoric is a means of changing reality by producing a
discourse in which the audience is so involved, in this meaning,
rhetoric is forever persuasive. Capone et al (2013:537-538)
mention that a paper entitled "The marriage of Pragmatics and
Rhetoric" was published by M. Dascal and A. Gross in 1999.
They refer to "the marriage between Aristotelian rhetoric and
Gricean pragmatics". They also consider their reconstruction
endeavors to integrate the solidity of "Gricean pragmatics and
Aristotalian rhetoric" possible and productive. Following
Dascal and Gross after few years, Larrazabal and Korta
(2002:1), suggest Pragma – Rhetoric as a new perspective,
which is: "A pragmatic and rhetorical view in discourse
analysis, combining both disciplines in order to explain the
intentional phenomena that occur in most communicative uses
of language, namely the communicative intention and the
intention of persuading".

5. WHAT IS PERSUASION?

Schmidt and Kess (1986: 15) consider persuasion as one kind of

perlocutionary act, where perlocutionary speech acts can be
defined as those acts which essentially include a specific
response on the part of the hearer.
Persuasion is defined by O'Keefe (2002:3-6) as "a
successful intentional effort at influencing another's mental
state through communication in a circumstance in which the
persuadee has some measure of freedom". He adds that an
attitude is the central concept to be involved in the definition of
a persuasion as mental state that can be seen as "orientations
of mind" rather than of body. Walton (2005:160-61) asserts that
Stevenson (1944) puts his theory of persuasion which was an
attractive development in the intellectual view on the
twentieth-century. His work shows the importance of
persuasion in disagreements about values; what should be

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noted is that, in all argumentation, the concept of persuasion

plays an important role. Steinberg (2006:237) describes
persuasion as the communication process by which the
communicator "succeeds in voluntarily forming, sustaining or
changing the attitudes or behavior" of one or a group of
listeners, according to the message that the communicator
intends to convey. According to Steinberg and other writers, the
main goal of a persuasive speaker is to change or influence the
listeners' "attitudes, beliefs, values and behavior".

6. FIGURES OF SPEECH

McQuarrie and Mick (1996:424-425) agrees with many

rhetoricians who assert that any issue can be stated in
different ways according to any specific situation; using
rhetorical figures of speech is considered one of these ways.
They mention the definition of a rhetorical figure according to
(Corbett 1990) as "an artful deviation" from the general
arrangement of an expression, i.e. a rhetorical figure is
generated when a term deviates from what is expected. They
classify figures of speech into two types: Schemes and Tropes.
Figures of speech in the schemes category include a deviation
from the usual word arrangement, i.e. it involves a change in
the typical word order. For example, ellipses, repetition, etc.
On the other hand, a figure of speech involved in the Tropes
category contains a deviation in the word's or phrase's
significance or content, for example, hyperbole, metaphor, etc.
For the purpose of the present paper, only tropes will be
included in the analysis.

7. TROPES

Tropes are figures of speech which involve messages in order to

convey additional meaning which differs from the exact
meaning of the literal words. The implied meaning, besides the

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literal one, is the perspective of pragmatics which makes

certain rhetorical figures of speech credible strategies of
rhetorical pragmatics. Tropes are classified into two types:
Destabilization tropes and Substitution tropes (McQuarrie and
Mick 1996:429).

1- Destabilization Tropes
McQuarrie and Mick (1996:433) state that in these tropes "one
means more than is said and relies on the recipient to develop
the implications". Two destabilization tropes are included in the
current paper: Metaphor and Pun.

- Metaphor
Metaphor, as Arends and Kilcher (2010:176) emphasize, is a
rhetorical figure that refers to a term or an expression which
can be applied to a subject or notion that it does not exactly
indicate, so as to propose a sort of comparison to another
subject or notion. It makes the abstract ideas easier to be
understood.

- Pun
This figure of speech is considered by Bussmann (1996:968) as a
rhetorical strategy of "words play" via the combination of two
words which have similar sounds, but their meaning and
etymological form are extremely contrastive. The pragmatic
view of pun is the ambiguous meaning that results from
flouting the maxim of manner (avoid ambiguity), and this
activates the involved meanings at the same time.

2- Substitution Tropes
McQuarrie and Mick (1996:433) assert that in the substitution
tropes "one says something other than what is meant, and
relies on the recipient to make the necessary correction". Three
types of substitution tropes are included in the present paper:

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- Overstatement
Overstatement (also known as Hyperbole) is one of the
rhetorical pragmatic strategies that referred to by Leech
(1983:145) as "a case where the speaker's description is
stronger than is warranted by the state of affairs described".

- Understatement
Cruse (2006:186) defines understatement (also called litotes) as
a figure of speech that includes utterance of "quantity,
intensity, or seriousness of something that is less than what is
objectively the case" in order to achieve the rhetorical
impression.

- Rhetorical Question
Rhetorical questions as defined by Shaffer (2009:167) are those
questions which are asked "not for the purpose of eliciting an
expressed answer, but rather for their rhetorical effect: an
emphasis of the speaker's point". It is used intentionally by the
speakers to arouse the hearers' attention towards the message
conveyed.

8. DATA ANALYSIS

Wilson and Sperber (2012:17) assert the relationship between

using a figure of speech and flouting Grice's maxims. This
relationship is essentially very important; since analyzing the
data will help in achieving the aims of the present paper. They
argue that, in accordance with Grice's view, such explicit
flouting of the maxims denotes the intention of the speaker:
"the speaker intends the hearer to retrieve an implicature that
brings the full interpretation of the utterance", (including the
literal meaning in addition to the implied meaning) and relates
them as possible to be satisfied with cooperative principles and
Grice's maxims. The researchers have followed a specific
procedure for the sake of building an organized linguistic

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analysis. This procedure encompasses a range of sequential

steps namely: selecting one interview that is related to
Mandela's pre-presidential era dated to 1990 after his release
from jail after 27 years of imprisonment; identifying the turns
of both participants. The interviewer will be marked as [1.A],
[2.A], [3.A]…etc. and the interviewee Nelson Mandela will be
marked as [1. B], [2.B], [3.B]….etc. scanning the instances of
figures of speech; extracting the type of figures of speech;
finding out which type of Grice's maxims (quality, quantity,
relation, and manner) is flouted; itemizing the most frequent
figures of speech; and eventually, examining which maxim is
most recurrently flouted.

- The Analysis of Interview

[4-A] Koos van der Merwe: Nelson, you’re not going to
nationalize the assets of the white people. I have worked
for my banks, my mines, my businesses and my farms.
You are not going to take it. Stop your violence, stop
your nonsense.
[4-B] NM: All I have said to Koos van der Merwe is to
say I am happy to know you. I hope that one day we
shall have the opportunity to discuss the affairs of
our country.

1- According to our pragma-rhetorical analysis:

A- The figure of speech that Mandela uses in [4-B] is a

substitution trope of understatement. He intends to
lessen the importance of what is said; this strategy is
adopted by him as a way of giving a clear picture of his
thought and attitude. It is a way of persuading his audience
of the importance of being partners in facing all the
country's difficulties rather than engaging in a personal
dispute. He tries to direct his audience's attention towards

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the most important aspect that includes his country's

struggle.

B- In accordance with Grice's maxims, the maxim of quantity

is flouted in [4-B] by Mandela. This answer was intended
by Mandela as a way by which help the audience to retrieve
the implied meaning plus the literal one. Mandela gives
insufficient information about Koos's accusations about his
violence and nonsense and changes the whole subject
towards what he believes to be more important (their
country's affairs). He flouts the quantity maxim, i.e. he says
something "less than what is meant".

C- By using a figure of speech of understatement, Mandela in

[4-B] flouts the maxim of quality since he intends to
lessen the importance of what Koos van der Merwe had
said about the accusations of his violence and nonsense. It
is a way of attracting his audiences' attention towards his
belief and point of view which emphasizes the importance
of his country's affairs and struggle more than defend
himself.

D- Mandela flouts the relation maxim; what he says is

irrelevant. He intends not to discuss whatever is said as a
way of directing and persuading his audiences towards his
attitude which makes him think firstly of his country away
from Koos's accusations.

E- The maxim of manner is also flouted. Mandela comments

on Koos van der Merwe's statement, and mentions his
pleasure to know Koos by saying I am happy to know
you, since the latter asked Mandela to stop his violence
and nonsense. The sense of ambiguity is activated as a
result of the contradictory statements by both. Mandela's

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ability to change the subject matter positively makes him a

more confident and convinced character.

[5-A] Gatsha Buthelezi: There’s nothing that prevents

you even in the United States from picking up the
telephone and say hello and talk to me as we were doing
ever since you left jail.
[5-B] NM: For me, to wash our dirty linen in a
foreign country … I am hesitant to do that even though
here I have the feeling that I am among comrades in
arms.
2- The pragma-rhetorical analysis of [5-B] includes the
following:

A- In [5-B] the figure of speech that Mandela used is a

destabilization trope of metaphor when he said 'For
me, to wash our dirty linen in a foreign country'.
Mandela, by using this comparison between two different
things, intends to stimulate the audience's attention
towards understating the idea of talking about a private
issue concerning the political affairs of his country in
public, namely in a foreign country though he is capable of
doing that. The expression 'Washing our dirty linen in a
foreign country' is used metaphorically by Mandela as a
way of explaining one idea in the light of the other. The
literal meaning refers generally to the process of washing
the dirty linen, whereas the implied meaning indicates the
way of discussing his country's affairs publically that seems
to be untrue. This makes Mandela adheres to his attitude
towards the independency of his country in dealing with its
affairs.

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B- As for Grice's maxims, Mandela flouts the maxim of

quantity.
In his answer, Mandela gives insufficient information about
what he wants to say. Instead of talking about his country's
affairs directly, he intends to make his audiences conclude
his attitude as a means of affecting them and achieving his
persuasive goal. He uses this image to give a vivid
illustration and to emphasize a specific issue.

C- In turn [5-B] Mandela flouts the maxim of quality. What

he says is untrue. He intends to make use of metaphor as a
persuasive device that attracts his audience's attention and
confirms the way he uses to express his point of view. He
says something untrue 'Washing our dirty linen in a
foreign country', but it is an appropriate way to generate
an implicature which includes the implied meaning of what
he says. The implied meaning is shown by explaining one
meaning in the light of the other, i.e. discussing his
country's private issue in a foreign country by using the
image of 'washing dirty linen in a foreign country'.

D- Mandela flouts the maxim of relation.

This sentence is irrelevant, but Mandela tries to make his
audience grasp his intended meaning in the light of the
other one. Though he says something which does not answer
the question directly, he could accomplish his main purpose
of persuading his audiences by his attitude. His main
purpose of his struggle is his country's freedom rather than
this personal accusation.

E- The maxim of manner is flouted by Mandela.

His answer arouses a sense of ambiguity; the maxim of
manner is flouted by Mandela as a way of attracting
attention and convincing others towards his intended
meaning. What he means by giving the image of 'washing

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a dirty linen in a foreign country' is to indicate his

unwillingness to discuss his country's private issues
publically.

[7. A] Ken Adelman: Those of us who share your

struggle for human rights and against apartheid have
been somewhat disappointed by the models of human
rights that you have held up since being released from
jail. You’ve met over the last six months three times
with Yasser Arafat.
[7-B] NM: Yasser Arafat, Colonel Gaddafi, Fidel
Castro support our struggle to the hilt.

3- The pragma-rhetorical analysis of [7-B] includes:

A- A rhetorical strategy used by Mandela is a

destabilization trope of metaphor. He uses the word
hilt as a means of comparing to which extent those leaders
are exceedingly supporting the struggle of his country. He
uses the word hilt (which refers to the handle of a sword,
dagger, or knife) to show his extraordinary gratitude for
those leaders and persuade his audience about the
important role those leaders play in his country's struggle.
He aims to persuade his audience to respect his attitude
instead of talking about the disappointment of his meeting
with Yasser Arafat.

B- According to Grice's maxims, Mandela flouts the

maxim of quantity. By using metaphor, Mandela
attempts to exaggerate his intended meaning to persuade
his audiences. He intends to refer to which extent those
leaders, including Yasser Arafat, support his country's
struggle. Mandela's intention of using metaphor is a way of
persuading his audiences of his point of view about
clarifying his attitude towards them.

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C- Mandela flouts the maxim of quality as he conducts a

comparison between those leaders' support to the hilt. He
gives an interpretation of one thing in the light of the other.
What he says about their support to the hilt is literally
untrue, since a struggle does not have the hilt. He speaks
metaphorically and intends to generate a conversational
implicature that includes another meaning beyond the
literal one, using this image as a way of convincing others
of his attitude.

D- Mandela flouts the maxim of relation by using a

rhetorical figure of metaphor. Mandela intends to clarify
his view by using the image of hilt as a means of
explaining one thing in the light of another. The literal
meaning of this metaphor is irrelevant. Instead of speaking
directly, Mandela attempts to persuade his audience by
using this image.

E- Mandela, in using this figure of speech, flouts the

maxim of manner. He does not avoid obscurity and gives
a sense of ambiguity with the purpose of creating an
additional meaning. It makes his audience think, compare,
and conclude his implied meaning of their country's
support.

[11-A] TK: What I’m saying is that in this country, for

example, there has been for many years a close alliance
between the Jewish population and the Black
population, in the civil rights struggle…. Only today, in
fact, his number two man said that the government
perceives itself in South Africa as being part of the anti-
apartheid struggle.
[11-B] NM: Hah! [Audience laughs]
One of the problems we are facing in the world today are
people who do not look at problems objectively but from

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the point of view of their own interests. That makes

things difficult, because once a person is not
objective; it is extremely difficult to reach an
agreement. One of the best examples of this is to
think that because Arafat is conducting a struggle
against the state of Israel, that we must therefore
condemn him. We can’t do that. It is just not
possible for any organization or individual of
integrity to do anything of the sort.

4- The pragma-rhetorical analysis of [11-B] involves:

A- Mandela uses the rhetorical figure of speech of

substitution tropes of overstatement. He attempts to
concentrate on the role of his objectivity in dealing with his
affairs. Additionally, he intends to exaggerate the idea of
the difficulties that one faces to achieve his goal. He uses
this device as a way of persuading his audience by his view
that one of the problems which people face is how they deal
with these problems depending on their own interest rather
than on thinking objectively to reach an agreement.
Accordingly, Mandela exemplifies his point of view by
mentioning the impossibility to condemn Yasser Arafat
only because he is conducting a struggle against "the state
of Israel".

B- As for Grice's maxims, Mandela flouts the maxim of

quantity since he intends to persuade his audience and
generates a conversational implicature by giving more
information and details to achieve his persuasive goal.
Generally speaking, the way of achieving any goals should
be based on objective reason rather than on our own
interest, simply because we have certain ideas in our mind.
His purpose is to exaggerate and concentrate attention on
certain characteristics of reality.

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[9. A] TK: Above all, Nelson Mandela stated his

positions forcefully. Why are you so insistent upon
maintaining sanctions, at a time when it can be argued
that the South African government has made more
concessions, your release being only one of them, than it
has ever made in the past forty years?
[9-B] NM: I should know better about this matter,
Mr. Koppel, than you.

5- Our pragma-rhetorical analysis of [9-B] includes:

A- Mandela uses the rhetorical strategy of substitution

tropes of understatement.
Mandela tries to prove that he is conversant with, informed,
and knowing more than what is said. He intends to lessen
the effect of the situation by using this strategy as a way of
affecting and persuading his audience. By this way,
Mandela creates a conversational implicature by conveying
an additional message beyond what is literally said. It is a
way of minifying the effect of the situation.

B- In accordance to Grice's maxims Mandela flouts the

maxim of quantity by using this figure of
understatement. His statement summaries his attitude
that can be concluded by his audiences. He intends to
lessen the importance of what is said by using this figure of
speech, i.e. his statement lessens the importance of what is
said.

C- Mandela flouts the maxim of quality when he uses this

type of figure of speech. What he says is uninformative
statement. Mandela in his answer creates a conversational
implicature and attempts to attract his audiences' attention
to the implied meaning. What he says gives the audience

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an impression that he knows more than what the other one

knows.

D- Mandela flouts the maxim of relation by using the

rhetorical figure of understatement. What he says is
irrelevant, he does not give aclear information about what
is said. His answer generates a conversational implicature
and directs his audience's attention to the implied meaning
which include his intention to avoid discussing the
interviewer's question.

E- It is noticed that he flouts the maxim of manner.

What he says does not avoid obscurity. He answers this
question with the intention of arousing his audiences'
attention about his point of view that he has a clear picture
of whatever happens in his country . Furthermore, he can
answer this question directly as a leader who has a deep
insight of his country affairs, instead, he gives the
indication that he knows more than Mr. Koppel about this
matter without giving a details of what he knows. This
intention arouses a sense of ambiguity among the audience
who concludes this implied meaning of his being unwilling
to discuss this matter.

[12-A] TK: If I could intervene with one point. I don’t

want to leave the impression that this is only going to be
a Jewish-Black issue. There are a great many Cuban
Americans in this country who will be just as offended
by some of the comments you’ve made about Fidel
Castro and Cuba.
[12-B] NM: No. Mr. Koppel, I don’t agree with you. I am
saying that it would be a grave mistake for us to
consider our attitude toward Yasser Arafat on the basis
of the interests of the Jewish community. We sympathize
with the struggles of the Jewish people and their

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persecution, right down the years. In fact, we have been

very much influenced by the lack of racialism amongst
the Jewish communities.
Why are you so keen that I should involve myself in
the internal affairs of Cuba and Libya?

6- A pragma-rhetorical analysis of [12-B] includes:

A- In [12-B] Mandela uses two kinds of rhetorical figure

of speech: Firstly, he used a figure of speech of
destabilization tropes of pun as he says I am saying
it would be a grave mistake….here the word grave is
used by Mandela as a way of persuading his audience to his
view . He states that it will be a serious and dangerous
mistake to adopt any viewpoint against Yasser Arafat
depending on the interests of Jewish community. He
intends to clarify his opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian
issue as a way to enlighten his refusal of considering any
attitude towards Yasser Arafat according to the interest of
the Jewish community.

B- As for Grice's maxims, Mandela flouts the maxim of

quantity. By using this figure of speech, he intends to
exaggerate the seriousness of considering their attitude
toward Yasser Arafat on the basis of the Jewish community
interests. It is a way of affecting and persuading his
audience of the importance of the objectivity in dealing
with a specific issue. The implied meaning that this
exaggeration creates includes giving more information that
the literal meaning does.

C- Mandela flouts the maxim of manner when he intends

to use the figure of speech of pun that includes using
the same word which have different meanings. Using such
figure of speech will arouse a sense of ambiguity, since the

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word grave has two different and unrelated meanings. It

may be mean a serious or important thing, and it may be
used to indicate a place of burial for a dead body.
Additionally, using pun in his speech, Mandela states that
despite of his sympathy with the Jewish community, it will
be a dangerous mistake to consider his attitude towards
Yasser Arafat depending on it. He attempts to make his
audiences retrieve the intended meaning behind this
expression to achieve his persuasive goal.

D- Secondly, saying: why are you so keen that I should

involve myself in the internal affairs of Cuba and
Libya? Here, we notice that Mandela is employing
substitution tropes of the Rhetorical question device.
He just raised this question to prove his point of not
interfering himself into the affairs of others although the
issue is found worldwide. He means that TK shouldn’t be
keen on assuming that Mandela may involve himself in the
internal affairs of Cuba and Libya.

E- Regarding to Grice's maxims, Mandela flouts the

maxim of quantity, since using a rhetorical question
provides inadequate information. It is less informative than
the situation is required. This device is used by Mandela as
a means of persuading his audience that he is not going to
get himself involved in the affairs of other countries such as
Cuba and Libya.

F- Mandela flouts the maxim of quality, using this

question which is not need to be answered by the hearer
gives the indication that what is said is untrue. The
intended and the implied meaning of this question
indicates that the speaker does not sure of the hearer's
attitude. It includes insufficient evidence, but it is intended
to persuade the hearers to a specific point of view.

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G- The maxim of relation is flouted by Mandela. His

intention of using this figure of speech gives his audience
the impression that he will never involve himself in other
country affairs. He flouts this maxim since he mentions
Libya in addition to Cuba in his answer whereas the
question is about Cuba only. He tries to clarify his attitude
concerning his objectivity in dealing with these countries.

H- Mandela flouts the maxim of manner when he used

this figure of speech. This question does not avoid
ambiguity and obscurity because what is said makes the
audience retrieve the implied meaning intended by
Mandela, i.e. That he will never interfere in their internal
affairs. He intends not to show his attitude directly; instead
he uses this rhetorical question as a device of persuading
his audience.

Table (1) Figures of speech and flouting Grice's maxims

Flouting
No Turns Instances of persuasion Figures of speech Grice's
No maxims
1- [4-B] NM: All I have said to Koos van der Understatement Quantity
Merwe is to say I am happy to know Quality
you. I hope that one day we shall Relation
have the opportunity to discuss the Manner
affairs of our country.
2- [5-B] NM: For me, to wash our dirty linen Metaphor Quantity
in a foreign country … Quality
Relation
Manner
3- [7-B] NM: Yasser Arafat, Colonel Gaddafi, Metaphor Quantity
Fidel Castro support our struggle to Quality
the hilt. Relation
Manner
4- [9-B] NM: I should know better about Understatement Quantity
this matter, Mr. Koppel, than you. Quality
Relation
Manner
5- [11-B] NM: That makes things difficult, Overstatement Quantity
because once a person is not
objective, it is extremely difficult to
reach an agreement. One of the best
examples of this is to think that because
Arafat is conducting a struggle against
the state of Israel, that we must

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therefore condemn him. We can’t do

that. It is just not possible for any
organization or individual of integrity
to do anything of the sort.
6- [12-B] First NM: No. Mr. Koppel, I don’t Pun Quantity
agree with you. I am saying that it Manner
would be a grave mistake for us to
consider our attitude toward Yasser
Arafat on the basis of the interests of
the Jewish community.
Second NM: Why are you so keen Rhetorical question Quantity
that I should involve myself in the Quality
internal affairs of Cuba and Libya? Relation
Manner

The number of sentences used by Mandela in the first interview

are (34), and (8) sentences of which include using figures of
speech. This means that the percentage of his figurative
language is (23.529%). The following table involves the
frequency of each rhetorical figure used by Mandela. It reveals
that all the five selected figures are used by Mandela in this
interview and metaphor and overstatement are equally used for
(2) times more than the other figures.

Table (2) Frequency and percentage of using figures of speech of the

first interview.
No Figures of speech Frequency Percentage
1. Metaphor 2 5.882 %
2. Pun 1 2.941 %
3. Overstatement 1 2.941 %
4. Understatement 2 5.882 %
5. Rhetorical question 1 2.941 %

The third objective aims at showing which maxim is most

flouted by Mandela in his interview. Table (2) shows the
frequency of each maxim by using these rhetorical figures. It
shows that by using these figures of speech, the maxim of
quantity is most flouted by Mandela for (7) times in his first
interview than the other maxims.

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Table (3) Frequency of flouting Grice's maxims in the first interview

No Grice's Maxims Frequency
1. Quantity 7
2. Quality 5
3. Relation 5
4. Manner 6

9. CONCLUSION

This paper has provided a pragma-rhetorical analysis of Nelson

Mandela's interview (1990). The analysis based on clarifying
the extent to which specific figures of speech are used by him as
a persuasive strategy. It is also based on how flouting Grice's
maxims can be created by using these figures of speech. The
research has reached the following findings: persuasion can be
created by using these tropes; flouting Grice's maxims that
results from using each figure of speech can create persuasion
in a certain context. The analysis has shown that Mandela
intends to use a variety of tropes to influence and persuade the
hearers. Metaphor and understatement are the most frequent
figures used by Mandela, and the maxim of quantity is the most
flouted in using these figures.

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