Commencement Speech: Nora Ephron's Speech

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SACE NO: 74122G (S.C.Bur)
Text type 4: Folio
Part one: Response to an Example of Communication Word count: 999

Name of Speech: Commencement Address to Wellesley Class of 1996 – Nora Ephron

Commencement speeches, which are presented in American graduation ceremonies, aim to inspire and motivate. Successfully, Nora Ephron 's commencement speech addressed to the Wellesley Class of 1996; inspired her audience to "be the heroine of [their '] li[ves], not the victim". Through anecdotes, Ephron explored the differences between her education and the graduates at Wellesley College, to remind the women graduating that whilst society was different in many ways, in particular for women, "there was still a glass ceiling".

The intention of Ephron …show more content…

In Ephron 's commencement address she incorporated various language techniques to enhance her purpose of inspiring and empowering women. Ephron employed rhetorical questions in queries such as "how long ago was it?", in reference to her graduating class, and "[her] class … of 1962" to effectively contrast and elaborate upon the differences between the two graduating classes and society 's expectations of women. She elaborated upon difference, stating the graduates of 1962 were not "meant to have futures" but "to marry them". Through the repetition of "don 't", Ephron reminded the women "don 't delude [themselves] that the power cultural values that wrecked the lives of so many of [her] classmates have vanished from the earth" as the Feminist movement did not change everything for women. Ephron adopted various cliché 's such as "lived happily ever after" and "wish [they] could turn the clock back" when referring to particular women with whom she attended college because their "education was a dress rehearsal for a life [they] never led". Ephron reminded the women metaphorically "there 's still a glass ceiling", when involving women 's rights, because "there 's [still] magazines devoted almost exclusively to making perfect casseroles". Using humour, Ephron informed the women are "graduating from Wellesley in the Year of the Wonderbra" and through this, she humorously reminded them of the "glass ceiling" as …show more content…

Explaining the changes in expectations for women, and being appreciative of them, Ephron concluded that despite the advancements brought about by the Feminist movement, women still unfortunately faced discrimination because of their gender. She challenged and inspired the women to become the "heroines of their li[ves]" so that other could be

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