Figures Of Speech Expressed In Norman Vincent Peale’s You Can If You Think You Can (PBING-15)

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

In the real life actually we use figures of speech to express our ideas, thoughts, feelings and minds. Figures of speech is also related to the literature and human life. Figures of speech, manner of speaking or writing, gives to our sentiments and thoughts a greater force, more vivacity and agreeableness.

The study analyzes a book entitled You Can if You Think You Can, the writer finds some figures of speech which are expressed in this book. Figures of speech are not only used in speaking but also in writing. Besides, the figures of speech are also commonly known as rhetorical devices.

Figures of speech are terms used to describe the devices employed to add colour, decoration and imaginative expression to linguistic use. It distinguishes figurative or imaginative language from its usage in a literal manner.
Meanwhile in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary tells about figures of speech, it says that figure of speech is a word or phrase is used for vivid or dramatic effect.

The writer also finds in www.home.comcast.net that a figure of speech is a change from the ordinary manner of expression, using words in other than their
literal sense to enhance the way a thought is expressed.

The figures of speech in the book You Can if You Think You Can makes the beautiful of writing because figures of speech are often used and crafted for emphasis, freshness of expression or clarity.

Figures of speech have many functions both oral and written communication, as explained in the Encyclopedia of Americana, that figures of speech serve variety of purposes. They are used to clarify meaning, to provide vivid example, to emphasize, to stimulate objects, to amuse or to ornament (Holman, 1997:195).

Figures of speech are also used in public speaking especially in persuasive speech. The goal of the speaker is to persuade the audience, and it is usually used for campaign speech, religion persuasion speech and a speech for promotion goods.

It is explained before that figures of speech are also used in writing, one of the literary works that use figures of speech is a book entitled You Can if You Think You Can written by Norman Vincent Peale. There are many sentences which are expressed the figures of speech found in the book.
Based on the background above, the book You Can if You Think You Can which is written by Norman Vincent Peale is going to be analyzed further on this research. The writer interests to analyze the expressions which are reflected the figures of speech.