Instituto de Educación Superior N.

º 28 “Olga Cossettini”

Traductorado Literario y Técnico-Científico en Inglés

Lengua III

Participants: Celie, María Paula; Gorosito, Berenice; Minoldo, Catalina; Oldani, Fátima;
Orsi, Giuliana; Pissinis, Sofía.
1. What does the writer refer to with the expression “The Ike Phase”. What are its characteristics?

The expression "The Ike Phase" refers to a particular style or approach to politics that the writer,
David Brooks, associates with former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and how the president
at the moment, Barack Obama, was going through a phase that is comparable to Eisenhower’s
presidency.

This phase is characterised by several aspects: a call for prudence and a warning against arrogance,
a sense of balance, and an avoidance of impulses to maintain resources available for the next
generations.

2. What does the writer contrast this “phase” with? Explain.

The writer contrasts the first years of Obama's presidency, which were similar to Kennedy’s, with
the ones at the time of the article being published, in which he was going through a phase of
prudence comparable to Eisenhower’s time in office.

3. Analyse Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 10 in terms of syntactic devices. Account for their use.

Paragraph 2:

Parallelism (Parallel Structure):

○ "Kennedy's speech was an idealistic call to action. Eisenhower’s speech was a calm
warning against hubris."
○ "Kennedy celebrated courage; Eisenhower celebrated prudence."
○ "Kennedy asked the country to venture forth. Eisenhower asked the country to
maintain its basic sense of balance."

In these examples, parallelism is used to create a balanced and rhythmic structure by presenting
similar ideas in similar grammatical structures. The repetition of the structure enhances the reader's
understanding and creates a sense of cohesion between the sentences, while maintaining a certain
rhythm.

Antithesis:

○ "Kennedy celebrated courage; Eisenhower celebrated prudence."

Antithesis is a literary device where contrasting or opposing ideas are placed in close proximity. In
this case, the opposing concepts of "courage" and "prudence" are juxtaposed to highlight the
differences in the philosophies of Kennedy and Eisenhower.

Anaphora:
 ○ "Kennedy asked the country to venture forth. Eisenhower asked the country to
maintain its basic sense of balance."

Anaphora involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or
sentences. In this case, the repeated use of "Kennedy asked the country to…" and "Eisenhower
asked the country to…" emphasises the similarity of their requests while still pointing out the
specific nature of each request.

Overall, these syntactic devices enhance the paragraph's structure, highlight the differences between
Kennedy and Eisenhower's approaches, and provide a rhythmic flow to the presentation of their
speeches and philosophies.

Paragraph 10:

Parallelism:

○ He acknowledged rising gas prices but had no new energy policy to announce. On
Libya, he emphasised the need to deliberate carefully our steps ahead but had no
road map to propose.

Here, parallelism is used in two ways: in terms of meaning, to show the reader the way
Obama manages certain issues with vague statements that give hope but ultimately amount to
nothing in terms of actions. This parallelism creates a consistent structure and rhythm while
highlighting contrasts and comparisons between different aspects of Obama's statements; in terms
of grammar, there are two instances of the same structure, that is, [he + verb in the past tense] + [but
had no + direct object].

4. Paraphrase the following quotes taken from the text. Explain what is meant by associative
meaning and comment on the types of associative meaning of the expressions underlined.

1) Obama's style could be attractive to independent voters. He will not be drawn into a
budget battle that could jeopardise his presidency. He appears to be employing a strategic approach:
the moment Republicans propose drastic reforms, he will get an opportunity to position himself as a
figure of moderation against extremism. He may win the following elections simply because his
personality stands out over his opponent's.

2) Cautiousness can be mistaken for pusillanimity. Obama described his response to the
Libyan revolution as a way of pressuring Qaddafi, but there is no evidence that Qaddafi is feeling
uncomfortable in any way. Qaddafi continues to brutally suppress his opposition while Western
caution appears ineffective.

3) While caution is not to be underestimated, the American people want a president who is
a powerful leader, has an influence on the party's ideological plan and can project towards the
future.
 4) President Obama is an incredibly complex individual. During his campaign and the first
half of his mandate, his biggest fault could be identified as an excessive self confidence that he was
capable of accomplishing everything in one mandate. However, he seems to possess an
extraordinary ability to introspect and adapt. Now, his deficiency appears to be a lack of action.
There is no way of knowing how Obama will present himself in the following elections.

Associative meaning refers to the additional connotations or implied meanings that words or
expressions carry beyond their literal definitions. It involves the connections, emotions, values, or
cultural references evoked by a particular word or phrase.

1) "Playing rope-a-dope":

- Conceptual meaning: It evokes the image of a boxer using a defensive stance to tire out
the opponent and then launching a counterattack.

- Connotative meaning: This expression carries an associative meaning related to strategy,

resilience, and tactical manoeuvring.

- Stylistic meaning: In this context, it implies a calculated and strategic approach,

resilience in the face of challenges, and the ability to seize opportunities.

2) "Extremism":

- Connotative meaning: "Extremism" is associated with ideas of radicalism, fanaticism, or

holding views that are far from the mainstream. It often implies a negative connotation, suggesting
an excessive or dangerous stance.

- Stylistic meaning: In the context of politics, it evokes notions of intolerance, dogmatism,

and a lack of willingness to compromise.

3) "Tightening the noose":

- Conceptual meaning: This metaphor uses the image of a noose being pulled on to apply
pressure on whatever is inside the loop. It metaphorically refers to increasing pressure or constraint
on a person or situation.

- Connotative meaning: "Tightening the noose" is linked to control, confinement, and

restriction. It suggests a gradual escalation of measures leading to a sense of being trapped or
suffocated.

4) "Fecklessness":

- Connotative and affective meaning: "Fecklessness" is associated with incompetence,

ineffectiveness, or a lack of purposeful action. It implies a sense of irresponsibility, lack of
capability, or inability to accomplish tasks successfully. It carries a negative connotation, suggesting
a disregard for consequences or a lack of reliability. The author's choice of this word reflects that he
looks on the president disapprovingly.

5) "The one out front":

 - Connotative meaning: This expression's associative meaning is connected to leadership,
prominence, and influence. It refers to being at the forefront or taking a leading position. It suggests
being proactive, authoritative, and visible. It conveys the idea of being the main driver or influencer
in a particular context.

6) "Hubris":

- Connotative meaning: "Hubris" is associated with excessive pride, arrogance, or

overconfidence. It suggests a sense of self-importance or inflated ego, often leading to downfall or a
disregard for limits. It carries a negative connotation, indicating a lack of humility and an inflated
sense of superiority.

- Affective meaning: In choosing this word, the author shows he did not only see Obama as
excessively confident, but also as egotistical.

7) "Passivity":

- Connotative meaning: The associative meaning of "passivity" is connected to inaction,

lack of assertiveness, or a state of non-responsiveness. It implies a sense of being inactive,
submissive, or accepting of circumstances without taking proactive steps. It conveys a negative
connotation..

- Stylistic meaning: In choosing this word in a political context, the author suggests a lack
of engagement or a failure to take charge on Obama's part.

5. Use the words “pose”, “tepid”, “cautious” used in the text, to illustrate what Bahktin says about
the neutrality and expressiveness of words.

Bakhtin posed the idea that words are not neutral and carry expressive qualities. They are not mere
conveyors of information but rather embody the social and cultural context in which they are used.

1) "Pose": The word "pose" implies a deliberate and calculated action. It suggests that
Obama's style has an intentional and strategic aspect, rather than being a neutral or passive
approach. According to Bakhtin, this word carries expressive meaning by conveying Obama's
deliberate positioning and presentation of himself in the political realm.

2) "Tepid": The term "tepid" implies a lack of enthusiasm or fervour. It suggests a

lukewarm or restrained quality. It could be argued that this word carries an expressive meaning by
evoking a specific emotional connotation, portraying Obama's reactions as cautious and less
fervent, potentially reflecting a calculated approach rather than a passionate one.

3) "Cautious": The word "cautious" suggests a careful and deliberate approach, often
associated with a measured and restrained attitude. Bakhtin's viewpoint on the expressiveness of
words would align with the understanding that "cautious" carries a connotation of prudence and
attentiveness, reflecting Obama's careful decision-making and thoughtfulness in navigating various
situations.
6. Apply the conceptual tools proposed by Leech to analyse the meaning of the expressions
underlined in the quotes below.

“Playing rope-a-dope”: the literal meaning refers to “a method of tiring out a boxing opponent by
pretending to be trapped on the ropes while the opponent expends energy on punches that are
blocked.” (Collins Dictionary). Apart from the purely conceptual meaning, the writer uses this
expression to convey that Obama is not going to get tangled in a political conflict with the other
party but, instead, he’s going to wait for the Republicans to propose something bold and then be as
cautious as possible. In terms of stylistic meaning, this term, which came into vogue in the 70s, is
colloquial and seems to be largely used in the US.

“Extremism”: the conceptual meaning is “the fact of someone having beliefs that most people think
are unreasonable and unacceptable.” (Longman Dictionary). This word is used a lot in the political
and religious spheres and has negative associations clustered around such as: bigotry, chauvinism,
violence, radicalism, etc.

“Tightening the noose”: to tighten the noose is an idiomatic expression that has both a literary and a
connotative meaning. The connotative meaning of "tightening the noose" is figurative and relates to
increasing control, pressure, or restrictions on a person, situation, or entity. It implies the gradual
implementation of stricter measures or constraints, often with the intention of achieving a particular
outcome or exerting control. The expression can carry negative undertones, suggesting a sense of
trouble, danger, or difficulty. The literal meaning of "tightening the noose" refers to physically
making a noose tighter by pulling on it. Historically, a noose has been used for various purposes,
including execution by hanging.

“Fecklessness”: the word ‘feckless’ means to lack determination. In terms of affective meaning, the
author is providing us with his stance towards president Obama and there are no underlying ideas
left on this statement since he is an outspoken critic in political affairs. If we compare ‘cautious’
and ‘feckless’ by their stylistic meaning, they both possess different connotations. While ‘cautious’
can be associated with thoughtfulness, contemplation, and sensibility in approaches, ‘feckless’ has
an overall negative connotation which can be connected with laziness or lacking efficiency. Clearly,
the author chooses his words carefully, which is reflected in his vocabulary as well as in his syntax.

“The one out front”: as for the literal meaning, to be the one out front, in a theatre, means that you
are the one people are watching. Moreover, this phrase denotes that president Obama is in the
spotlight since people are expecting his upcoming measures as an assertive leader. It describes a
president who is not only actively engaged but also influential, commanding attention and respect
by being a leader, guiding the agenda, projecting an image of power, and articulating compelling
plans for the future.

“Hubris”: this word means to have too much pride. If we compare ‘pride’ and ‘hubris’, both of them
have different connotations. While pride means to feel pleasure and satisfaction because you did
something good, ‘hubris’ denotes excessive arrogance in your way of speaking or behaving. The
author conveys displeasure about Obama’s attempts to do everything at the same time, he remarks
that this is one of his flaws.
“Passivity”: at the end of the text, the author reflects on Obama’s flaws and he says that the most
worrying one he has is ‘passivity’. The word in itself refers to people who tend to accept things that
happen to them or things that people say about them, without taking any action. Obama seems to be
taking an active role in trying to defeat the opposition, but when it comes to foreign affairs his
measures lack any sort of assertiveness. Thus, the word ‘passivity’ has a negative connotation and
may be associated with other items such as: laziness, bum, idle, etc.

7. Does the writer think Obama is likely to win the next presidential election or not? Account for
your answer.

This article has a nuanced opinion regarding Obama, but at first sight one may not be able to
recognize the writer's opinion on the matter of the approaching election, as seen at the end when he
says "I have no confidence that I can predict what sort of person Obama will be as he runs for
re-election in 2012.". He is, in fact, not positive that a re-election is possible. The writer describes
Obama throughout the article as flawed, passive, and too prudent for his own good, with an agenda
and plan that don't seem to be neither stable nor clear, which is reflected on his explanation of the
current phase Obama is going through. However, he believes that a re-election is only plausible
through Obama's "force of personality" and by "overshadowing his opponent."