Critical discourse analysis of selected speeches of Dr Kwame Nkrumah

Abstract

This study is primarily focused on selected speeches of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. It investigated the latent meanings that are usually embedded in political speeches and make them apparent to readers. The primary data for the study were three selected speeches of Nkrumah. The study used Critical Discourse Analyses as the research approach to interrogate the issues in the speeches based on the concepts of power and ideology and how these issues are embedded in the speeches. The study was motivated by the fact that not much has been done on speeches of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah using the CDA approach. Therefore, the need to interrogate his speeches using that approsach. The findings revealed that issues of power and ideology are hidden in the texts and they are constructed to push forward certain agenda. The findings also revealed embedded characterization of Kwame Nkrumah as ideologue and unrepentant supporter of socialism who was also obsessed with African Unity. The findings further disclose Nkrumah’s penchant for using logical reasoning in his speeches in order to drum home his ideology. The most interesting revelations in this study was the use of pronouns and metaphors. The study concludes that issues of power and ideology were subtly constructed and hidden in the speeches through stringing of arguments via carefully selected pronouns and metaphors to create power identification and differentials between Nkrumah and his audience.