THE USE OF IMPOLITENESS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF POWER: A STUDY IN TRUMPIAN DISCOURSE

Abstract

This Honours Thesis lends some insight into the use of impoliteness in the construction of power in political discourse, using the case of Donald Trump and his political language as a case study for close analysis. In this thesis, I analysed Trump’s use of impoliteness strategies throughout his presidential campaign. Through the comparison analysis with George W. Bush’s language used throughout his presidential campaign, I posit that Trump’s language use is more impolite than expected, reinforcing this stance that has been previously studied and asserted by many scholars and writers. Brown and Levinson’s Face Theory (1987), as well as Culpeper’s Impoliteness (2011) were primarily utilised in the analysis of impoliteness. Using Trump’s impolite political language as a background, this Honours Thesis continues to discuss the concept of power, in the form of conversational power and narrative power, and how this power can be manifested through linguistic choices such as impoliteness strategies. This thesis then posits and discusses how Trump utilises impoliteness strategies in his own construction of power throughout his political campaign. In doing so, I also attempt to analyse and provide some insight into the reasons behind Trump’s choice of using such impoliteness strategies.