Purpose: The
purpose of this speech was to remind the public and audience that he is simply
a storyteller—nothing more and nothing less. Mo Yan also wanted to convince his
audience that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, regardless of what
other people want. This speech—an acceptance of the Nobel Prize for
Literature—also serves as a tribute to his mother.
Audience: Members
of the Swedish Academy; members of the community who were and are critical of
Mo Yan’s actions
Context: Receiving
the Nobel Prize in Literature, December 2012. The speech was given following
the arrest of fellow Chinese Prize winner, Liu Xiaobo, and Yan’s refusal to sign
a petition to free him.
Section 1: Stories of
His Mother
Purpose: to prove
that his true calling and profession is to tell stories; to show the major role
his mother played in shaping him as a writer and also in influencing his
values.
Appeals: Establishes
ethos—implicit assumption that the good values (fairness, kindness, etc.) of
his mother translated over to him. He uses pathos and makes the audience feel
sympathetic towards his mother over some stories, but he also makes the
audience feel awe over what a terrific person she was.
Technique: Uses
many anecdotes about his mother (“My earliest memory…” “My most painful
memory…” “My clearest memory…” “My most remorseful memory…”) He also uses
anaphora in this case. His mother can also be seen as a metaphor for a certain
part of himself that he lost sight of when his mother died. This “lost” side contained
core values that he learned from his mother.
Effectiveness: he
is very effective in proving his storytelling abilities. Whether he was aware
of it or not, he was also effective in portraying the values of his mother.
Section 2: Becoming a
Writer and Storyteller
Purpose: to show
his unlikely journey to winning the Noble Prize and to discuss his work, and
people and things that influenced it over the years.
·
The name “Mo Yan”
o
Techniques:
uses irony because “Mo Yan” is actually a translation for “don’t speak.” Not
only is this ironic because he was a very talkative child and is now a novelist,
but now as an adult, Yan refuses to speak out against the arrest of Liu Xiaobo.
·
Foreign inspirations
o
Appeals: Builds
ethos: shows that he was inspired by people like William Faulkner and Gabriel
Garcia Marquez.
o
Techniques:
§
Supports overall purpose by saying he learned
from them that every author needs “a place that belongs to him alone.”
§
Metaphor, foreign authors= “blazing furnaces,”
he= “block of ice.” He would dissolve if he got too close
§
Overall voice comes through—“write my own
stories in my own way.”
·
Nonfiction vs. Fiction
o
Appeals: uses
logos in saying “a person can experience only so much.” Also increases ethos
because it shows he is recognizing that he can only write about so much from
personal experience before he starts making things up.
o
Techniques:
§
Uses example of aunt in the novel Frogs as a way to apologize to her for
portraying her fictional character as the opposite of who she really was.
§
Explains the paradox of the combination of
fiction vs. nonfiction. Technically, it doesn’t make sense for fiction to also
be nonfiction. But, he explains that fiction can be written for someone or a group of people, which
means there is some truth and realism in the writing.
§
Politics allow literature to be “suppressed” and
turn it into “reportage of a social event.” He says literature must “be greater
than politics.” This is an indirect reference to critics of his actions
regarding Liu.
Section 3: Metaphors
Purpose: The
purpose of this end portion was to defend his Noble Prize and his actions
regarding not signing the petition. It can also be used to convince others to
think the same way as he does regarding not giving into public pressure.
Techniques:
·
Metaphor & Analogy—“when everyone around you
is crying, you deserve to be allowed not to cry, and when the ears are all for
show, your right to not cry is greater still.” Uses this anecdote about
visiting an exhibit of suffering as a child as both an analogy and a metaphor.
o
Analogy—to help the audience better understand
the inner feelings, opinions, and emotions of people with different opinions.
Used to make it easier for the audience to sympathize with Yan.
·
Metaphor—the child who did not cry, but was
punished, is a metaphor for Mo Yan in the situation regarding the petition.
·
Another metaphor about karma also expresses his opinions
on how individuals should not be ganged up on or outcaste because karma will
come back and haunt the majority.
General Evaluation:
Mo Yan’s overall message for the speech was that his job and
goal is not to be a social activist—it is merely to tell stories. He uses anaphora
and repeats throughout the speech that he is “a storyteller.” Yan uses this
speech as a response to all of the critics who don’t support his actions and
believe that he is undeserving of the Nobel Prize for Literature. This is why
Yan spends most of his speech defending himself using the art of storytelling
and metaphors all throughout. The use of these rhetorical devices is effective,
but they also create a feeling of self-absorbance. His defensive tone makes him
seem semi-arrogant. It is also ironic that he seems to be arguing for
individual opinion and expression, yet he refuses to support Liu Xiaobo—an activist
who stands for freedom of expression. Overall, this portrays Yan as inconstant
and confused. He relies most on his ability to tell a good story to convince
the audience of his credibility and motives, and to mask the contradiction he
presents.
