We have
found it necessary to take measures of increasing stringency, not only against
enemy aliens and suspicious characters of other nationalities, but also against
British subjects who may become a danger or a nuisance should the war be
transported to the United Kingdom. I know there are a great many people
affected by the orders which we have made who are the passionate enemies of
Nazi Germany. I am very sorry for them, but we cannot, at the present time and
under the present stress, draw all the distinctions which we should like to do.
If parachute landings were attempted and fierce fighting attendant upon them
followed, these unfortunate people would be far better out of the way, for their
own sakes as well as for ours. There is, however, another class, for which I
feel not the slightest sympathy. Parliament has given us the powers to put down
Fifth Column activities with a strong hand, and we shall use those powers
subject to the supervision and correction of the House, without the slightest
hesitation until we are satisfied, and more than satisfied, that this
malignancy in our midst has been effectively stamped out.
Turning once again, and this time more
generally, to the question of invasion, I would observe that there has never
been a period in all these long centuries of which we boast when an absolute
guarantee against invasion, still less against serious raids, could have been
given to our people. In the days of Napoleon the same wind which would have
carried his transports across the Channel might have driven away the blockading
fleet. There was always the chance, and it is that chance which has excited and
befooled the imaginations of many Continental tyrants. Many are the tales that
are told. We are assured that novel methods will be adopted, and when we see
the originality of malice, the ingenuity of aggression, which our enemy
displays, we may certainly prepare ourselves for every kind of novel stratagem
and every kind of brutal and treacherous manoeuvre. I think that no idea is so
outlandish that it should not be considered and viewed with a searching, but at
the same time, I hope, with a steady eye. We must never forget the solid
assurances of sea power and those which belong to air power if it can be
locally exercised.
I have, myself, full confidence that if all do
their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as
they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our
Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of
tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone.
At any rate, that is what we are going to try to
do. That is the resolve of His Majesty's Government every man of them. That is
the will of Parliament and the nation.
The British Empire and the French Republic,
linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death
their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their
strength.
Even though large tracts of Europe and many old
and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all
the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail.
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in
France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing
confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island,
whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the
landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall
fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a
moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving,
then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and
guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good
time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue
and the liberation of the old.
[1] Great Britain’s
Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered a speech to the House of Commons on
June 4, 1940. Churchill explained that the British effort in World War II was
not going well and that a German invasion of Britain was possible. A gifted
orator, Churchill knew he must convince the British people that victory would
come someday. When Churchill gave his speech, the U.S. had not yet entered
World War II. He references his hope that “the New World,” meaning the U.S.,
would join the war.
Analysis: The prescribed text is Winston Churchill’s speech to House of Commons (British
governmental institution) in June 1940. This text is identifiable as a
political speech due to the usage of conventions related to political speech.
Churchill, for example, uses inclusive language, such as ‘we’, which acts as a
unifier, which works for his goal, as described by the footnote; “…convince the
British people that victory would come someday.” The theme of hope is a major
component of this text, and could be described as the main goal of this text;
to bring hope to the British people. This text uses literary devices to promote
a message of British and political unity against the Nazis, while also giving
context/justification to the actions taken at the time, and also inspiring hope
in the British population.
To begin with, the target audience for
this speech, despite it taking place at the House of Commons, is the average
British adult. Throughout the text, Churchill constantly uses unifying and
inclusive language, such as ‘we’ and ‘our’. This, as the term suggests, works
to include the viewer in the war effort being undertaken by the United Kingdom,
using language to portray it as a feat accomplished by the effort of the entire
country, of all its people, rather than just politicians. By including the
whole nation using the language, Churchill is able to cast an image of World
War II being a struggle of society and ideology, raising the stakes, bringing
it to a level that the average person can relate to. This works well
considering the UK was a democracy; in contrast to Germany, which was a fascist
dictatorship. Churchill uses harsh and aggressive language against sympathisers
and potential traitors, portraying them as a danger to the rest of Britain;
“malignancy in our midst” for example, creates imagery of the so-called Fifth
Column (meaning those who sympathise with the enemy) as being cancerous to society,
due to the use of the term ‘malignancy’. In this case, Churchill is not trying
to convince the Nazi sympathisers to change sides, but rather unite the rest of
the British people and society against them and Nazi Germany. Churchill also
mentions that there never has been a time when Britain’s safety from invasion
was completely guaranteed, and claims “There was always the chance”. He draws
parallels to a historical figure and time period, Napoleon Bonaparte and the
Napoleonic wars, as an example of how this is not the first-time Britain has
faced endangerment of invasion. By using a parallel to Napoleon, Winston
Churchill is able to instil hope in his audience, as evidently Napoleon was
unsuccessful, and so were other “Continental tyrants” (note the use of
Continental – most likely exclusive in usage to the UK). The audience is
definitively British in identity, when taking these historical and cultural
references into account.
In addition, in the third paragraph
Winston Churchill mentions ‘duty’, in the quote “…if all do their duty, if
nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being
made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home,” This
quote is powerful in the sense that Churchill has empowered every able-bodied
British citizen, as he says that through their own effort, they can defend
their home from invasion. He has now included the British people in the war
effort, they are reminded of their essential role; the war has now become less
distant of a concept to them.
Secondly, Churchill is justifying the
actions taken by his government, in terms of ‘increasing stringency’ as he
says. Churchill uses pathos to appeal his point to the people, by appealing to
their patriotism. He acknowledges that most people who will be affected by the
measures he is trying to justify are “passionate enemies of Nazi Germany”, and
states that he feels “very sorry for them”, but uses the threat of Nazi
invasion (parachute landings), “enemy aliens”, and suspicious characters of
other nationalities, to justify the increased security measures. The language
Churchill uses makes it very clear that he does not regard the enemy as people
within British society, but rather an external threat, which works in this
speech to further unify the nation.
Furthermore, a message of hope is seen
throughout the text, and is especially evident in the last three paragraphs. In
the first of the last three paragraphs, Churchill mentions the government, Parliament,
The British Empire, and the French Republic, are “linked together”. Just like
other literary devices mentioned earlier, this creates imagery of unity, except
this one less individual and more international. It refers to governments
rather than people, however, it still preaches the same message of unity.
Quotes such as, “aiding each other like good comrades”, is an effective method
to get the audience to feel united, even with their international counterparts.
Churchill also addresses and acknowledges the looming threat of Germany, in the
second-to-last paragraph. “…large tracts of Europe and many old and famous
States have fallen…” shows honesty with the audience. The fact that Churchill
does not attempt to skirt the issue of Germany having control over most of
Europe, creates trust from the audience. It makes Churchill’s words more
sincere, while also emphasising the urgency of the situation. Finally, the last
paragraph, utilises repetition in a very powerful manner. It uses the same
basic structure: “we shall fight in…”. Not only does this use inclusive
language, it further emphasises unity and hope to the British people. The
paragraph creates imagery of Britain being prepared to fight no matter what, in
any situation; showing Britain to be a confident, determined, and brave nation.
The mention of “…the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to
the rescue…” brings hope to the audience, as it is something tangible and
plausible (logos), the audience knows that if the New World (USA) steps in, it
would be a great boost to the war effort. The last sentence of the preceding
paragraph, “…shall not flag or fail”, works well with this final paragraph, as
it reflects the determination and willpower of Britain to survive against Nazi
Germany expressed in the text.
The theme of hope is constantly
appearing throughout the text, as shown in the previous paragraphs. As
mentioned before, giving the UK citizens hope was one of the main goals of this
speech, and it utilises quite powerful quotes in order to muster up hope from
the audience. The bleak situation, with Germany having taken over most of
mainland Europe, and being practically on Britain’s doorstep, necessitates the
need for Churchill to give his people hope for the future, which he does
through his mention of historical context (giving additional credibility to
Britain) and the mention of the ‘New World’. By uniting the nation through his
use of language, Churchill brings additional hope to the UK.
Churchill uses direct speech to interact
with the audience; his speech almost functions as a sort of monologue towards
the people. He addresses them personally, and talks as if he is one of them, by
using inclusive language, making his points more relatable and perhaps giving
him more ethos, as he appears as someone who is part of, rather than apart of
the rest of British society. The speech is in a serious tone, fitting, for a
serious issue. Churchill, spoke from the point of view of an ordinary citizen
while maintaining an authoritative tone. He tells the audience of the situation
and what the government is doing about it, and why they are doing it, “We have
found it necessary to take measures…”, the audience is not left to decide what
to do. Churchill is also clear that he has “full confidence that if all do
their duty… we shall prove… able to defend our Island home”, which leaves no
room to question what he is saying, with no double-meaning.
It is important and essential to
understand the context of this speech, and how powerful it must have been. The
world for the average British person would’ve been a very bleak place, with
Nazi Germany controlling most of Europe, and seemingly getting ready to invade
Great Britain. The situation was bleak enough for the government to take
increased security measures against sympathisers. In this speech, it is
important to note that Churchill seems to be trying to unite his country
against an external threat, justify increased security measures (possible
inconvenience for average people), and maintaining hope and determination that
the UK’s side would win the war.
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