Freitag, 28. November 2008
Sonntag, 16. November 2008
East is east - Tasks
‘Oh East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.’
Rudyard Kipling
In the film East is East the 'twain' have met for a Moslem man from Pakistan has married a Catholic woman from Salford, near Manchester. They have had seven children, six boys and a girl, and are running a fish and chip shop near their home. The parents both have a very strong vision of themselves. The father, George, wants his children to be accepted by the Moslem community and live by its rules and customs. The woman, Ella, has agreed to this on her marriage but is still herself a Catholic and has influenced her children with her ideas.
The film considers the ideas and loyalties of the children. Are they Moslem or Catholic and how do they fit into the world of Salford in 1971?
The theme of East vs West is explored even further:
George has many connections with Bradford which is seen by him as a place where he would
find it easier to bring up his children in a more traditional way. He even looks for prospective
brides for his sons there. Bradford is in the east of northern England; Salford is in the west. George originally comes from Islamabad, which in 1971 is in East Pakistan. His first wife is
there and the country is at war with India. He keeps threatening to bring her to England.
East is East:
A film about racism
The family are in crisis. They do not fit into either the Pakistani community or the white community.
George is acutely aware of this and he is forcing his children against their will to conform. He sends them to Urdu classes, he has his youngest son circumcised because it has been overlooked and he arranges marriages for his children against his wife’s and his children’s wishes.
He is also worried about the war in his homeland and the rising tide of racism sparked off by Enoch Powell’s 'Rivers of Blood' speech. Powell was suggesting that unless people
were repatriated there would be a rising tide of violence. He ignored the fact that many people had been born in this country, were British citizens and were in their country of
birth. Because Powell was a well-known, influential politician his extreme views encouraged many people’s prejudices because they felt his speech gave them permission to act in
a racially prejudiced way.
The title of the film comes from a quotation by Rudyard Kipling, the late nineteenth century British writer, who had strong views about the British Empire and its position in the world, especially in relation to India.
This is the background to George’s fears for his family.
Task one
Racism - The irony in the film
Look at these situations and consider the irony of the situation.
George does not want his son to marry a white British woman
The man over the road is very racist and advertising Enoch Powell coming to talk in the city.
The man has two grandchildren. The little boy is called Ernest. How does he feel about the Khan
family? How does he speak to them? How does he feel about the youngest boy Sajid?
How does he feel about the girl, Meenah?
Ernest’s sister is called Stella. How does she feel about the Khan family?
When Mr Shah is coming with his wife and daughters to the house the youngest boy, Sajid,
cries out, 'The pakis are coming.'
George does not want his children to be like hippies. Who were the hippies and where did they
go to find spiritual enlightenment?
George makes a living selling fish and chips and his shop is called The English Chippy.
When Tariq goes to the local disco he calls himself Tony.
George asks the doctor, who has operated on his son, if he is Indian.
The family go to an Asian cinema even though they cannot understand the language.
Task Two
The Ironic Image
This irony is present not just in the subject matter of the film but in the imagery. Consider these
images. What is ironic about them?
The children are first seen carrying a crucifix and a statue of the Virgin Mary and child.
Sajid is scattering rose petals.
Meenah kicks a football through the window of the man opposite.
Saleem’s sculpture lands on the lap of Mrs Shah.
Nazeem brings the runaways back in a Rolls Royce.
The priest visits the fish and chip shop in clerical garb.
Meenah’s dance in the backyard.
Every picture tells a story
Task Three
Representation of Place
The main story is set in Salford in 1971. It is a very specific place with its red brick terrace houses,backyards and alleys.
I How is it filmed? Particularly look at the opening sequence with its aerial shots and odd angles.
What is the effect of:
1. The crane shot over the street and the alleys. What action is occurring to heighten this effect?
2. Static shots with the characters running through the frame.
3. Close-ups on the children with the camera moving with the characters.
4. Shots of the mum and dad standing together with the characters moving behind them.
5. How does the editing of this sequence affect the initial impression of the location?
The design of the film is very clever. Look at the mise en scène set inside the house. What
impression is given of how the family lives? Where do they all sleep? What do they do inside the
house? What do they do outside?
Much of the film is set inside the house. How does the look of the house contrast with:
- the fish shop
- the house in Bradford
- the wedding ceremony
- the hat shop
- the discotheque
How are these places filmed?
Task Four
The Representation of the Family
Look at the following statements:
'I’m not having my kids accused of bad manners.
People are quick to point the finger when they see
they are a bit foreign.' (Ella)
'They are only trouble because you don’t listen to
them.' (Ella)
'Pakistani sons show respect.' (George)
'Dad I’m not Pakistani. I was born here.' (Tariq)
'Dad’s coming…throw the bacon away.' (Meena)
'You and your bastard kids misses.' (George)
How does the family see itself? Is it at war with itself? Look at the changing factions and
allegiances in the film. Would they have been different if the family was not composed of two races and religions?
The central character is the father, George. How does the relationship between him and the rest
of the family change during the film? When is he very aggressive to his family? When is he very
affectionate?
How is Ella with her children, her sister and her husband? How does she behave when she goes
to Bradford and meets the other family’s mother?
What are the differences in the physical representations of the sons? Do they dress differently for different settings and occasions? Why does Nazeem call himself Mr Nigel in the hat shop?
What do the filmmakers do when we see things from Sajid’s point of view? How does this fit into his visual theme of seeing and hearing things through keyholes?
How does the representation of the children contrast with the other young people in the street,
Ernest, Stella and Peggy?
Task Five
Representing a Point in History
What disadvantages are there for filmmakers in representing a point in history that is only thirty
years ago? What advantages do the filmmakers have?
Consider the moments when the historic period is very accurate:
1. the television footage of Enoch Powell and the footage of the conflict between India and Pakistan
2. the children’s television programme
3. the discotheque
4. the representation of the hat shop
5. the space hopper
What did you know about the 1970s before you saw the film? How important is it to the film that it is set then? Would it have been a different film had it been set now?
Task Six
Images of Bollywood
When the family goes to the cinema they want to see a
specific film. As the cinema manager is their relation he
puts the film on for them.
What are the images from the film like? Why do the
family like them so much?
How do they tie in to the themes of the film?
Compare and contrast them with the real lives of the
family.
Task Seven
The Audience for the Film
What is its Genre?
East is East has been a very successful film. It was originally a play performed at the Royal Court
Theatre in London, a venue known for its championship of original bold writing.
Ayub Khan-Din wrote both the play and the screenplay and had a vision of how he wanted the film to be.
'I was influenced by the bitter-sweet northern films of the 1960s, like A Taste of Honey, Spring and
Port Wine and This Sporting Life. Although people try and marginalise films like East is East as
‘Asian’ for me it has always been a northern comedy in tradition. What is bittersweet about this film and is it in a northern comedy tradition?
Samstag, 15. November 2008
A Raisin in the sun
Linkliste zu A RAISIN IN THE SUN
- Plot synopsis
- Acts
- Characters
- essays
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin
http://www.bookrags.com/notes/rai/
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/A-Raisin-in-the-Sun-About-the-Play-Introduction.id-150,pageNum-2.html
Narrator and point of view
Narrator and Point of View
Narrator (Erzähler):
The "voice" that tells a story. Unless it is an autobiography, the narrator is not identical with the author/writer.
Point of view (Erzählperspektive): The perspective from which characters, events, etc. are presented in a fictional text. The chosen point of view has a strong effect on the reader; for example, we tend to respond (reagieren)
more sympathetically to a character whose mind we "enter", as we experience for ourselves what the character goes through. In the course of many stories the point of view changes to make reading more interesting.
First person narrator / limited point of view (Ich-Erzähler):
The narrator is a character in the story and uses the first person singular ("I"). This narrator may be either the protagonist (Hauptperson)
or a minor character, who is just a kind of observer (neutraler Beobachter). As first person narration presents the action through the eyes of only one character, the narrator has a limited point of view. The reader tends to identify with the narrator.
Interior monologue (innerer Monolog): A particular form of first person narration which presents a character's thoughts, associations and memories. Interior monologues often do not follow chronological order, since, when people think, their thoughts jump from one subject to another.
Third person narrator / limited point of view (personaler Erzähler/~s Erzählverhalten): The narrator stands outside the story and uses the third person ("he", "she" or "they") to refer to the characters but presents the events mainly from the perspective of only one character, i.e. he "limits" himself to the perspective of this character.
Third person narrator / unlimited point of view, often called
omniscient narrator [from Latin omnis: everything, scire: to know] (allwissender Erzähler):
The narrator can (at least theoretically) look into the minds of all characters and tell us about their thoughts and feelings. He can look into the past, tell about the present and also anticipate the future.
Reported thought (erlebte Rede): Thoughts, memories, associations, etc., are presented as reported speech (third person, past tense) but without common phrases like "she thought", "he wondered", "she asked herself" etc. This technique creates the illusion of intimate access to a character's mind.
Stream of consciousness (Bewusstseinstrom): An attempt to convey the continuous, often unstructured or even chaotic flow of thoughts and emotions in the human mind. Typical characteristics of this technique are incomplete sentences, sudden jumps or even complete lack of any traditional syntactical structure and punctuation.
Intrusive narrator (auktorialer Erzähler/~s Erzählverhalten): The narrator makes e.g. comments on the story, may reflect about the process of writing and may try to influence the reader. He sort of "intrudes" (stören, eindringen) on the reader and the reading process.
Unreliable narrator (unzuverlässiger Erzähler): The narrator e.g. contradicts himself and/or presents confusing information so that the reader must draw his own conclusions.
Mode of presentation (Art der Darstellung): The way a writer narrates events. The author can either tell the readers about events and their significance or show the reader what is happening. Most stories use a combination of both techniques.
Scenic presentation (szenische Erzählung): An event is presented in detail as it occured, i.e. a scene is described (= showing).
Panoramic presentation (berichtende Erzählung): The narrator tells the story as a condensed (verdichtet)
series of events, summarizing in a few sentences what happened over a longer period of time (= telling).
Metaphors - vocabulary
Metaphors
(x=the metaphor)
At first glance one could think … (auf den ersten Blick)
On the literal
level … (wörtliche Ebene)
Normally "x" denotes ... (wörtlich bedeuten)
X evokes associations of ... (Assoziationen wecken)
X makes me think of …
(an etwas denken lassen)
X reminds me of … (erinnern an)
The use of "x" gives the impression that ... (den Eindruck erwecken)
X probably refers to ... (sich beziehen auf)
For me "x" implies that ... (andeuten, implizieren)
In my view x suggests / hints at ... (andeuten, denken lassen an)
Perhaps the writer has x in mind when ... (an etwas denken)
On the figurativelevel … (übertragene Ebene)
X might symbolize / be a symbol of ... (symbolisieren)
Maybe x stands for ... (stehen für)
This metaphor conveys a feeling of ... (vermitteln)
This metaphor could mean that ... (bedeuten)
This phrase is supposed to allude to ... (soll anspielen auf)
In my opinion this is an allusion to ... (Anspielung auf)
X connotes ... (suggerieren)
X has positive connotations. (Konnotationen)
an ambiguousmetaphor ... (zwei-, mehrdeutig)
One might infer/ conclude that … (schließen, folgern)
Dystopian Fiction
Definition: A dystopia is a fictional society that is the opposite of utopia. It is usually characterized by an authoritarian or totalitarian form of government, or some other kind of oppressive social control.
Typical features of dystopian fiction
A background story of war, revolution, uprising, overpopulation, natural disaster or some other climactic event which resulted in dramatic changes to society.
A standard of living among the lower and middle class that is generally poorer than in contemporary society. This is not always the case, however, in Brave New World people enjoy much higher material living standards in exchange for the loss of other qualities in their lives, such as independent thought and emotional depth.
A protagonist who questions society, often feeling intuitively that something is terribly wrong.
As dystopian literature typically depicts events that take place in the future, it often features technology more advanced than that of contemporary society. Usually, this advanced technology is controlled exclusively by the group in power, while the oppressed population is limited to a rather primitive technology.
Dystopian fiction typically extrapolates current trends and developments into the future. It is not enough to show people living in an unpleasant society. The society must have similarities to today, of the reader's own experience. If the reader can identify the patterns or trends that would lead to the dystopia, it becomes a more involving and effective experience.
There is usually a group of people who are not under the complete control of the state, and in whom the hero of the novel usually puts his or her hope, although he or she still fails to change anything. In 1984 by George Orwell they are the "proles" (short for "proletariat"), in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley they are the people on the reservation, and in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, they are the "book people" past the river and outside the city.
If destruction is not possible, escape may be, if the dystopia does not control the world. In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, the main character succeeds in fleeing and finding people who have dedicated themselves to memorizing books to preserve them.
George Orwell 1984
The novel, published in 1948, takes place in 1984 and presents an imaginary future where a totalitarian state controls every aspect of life, even people's thoughts. The state is called Oceania and is ruled by a group known as the Party; its leader and dictator is Big Brother.
Winston Smith, the central character, is a thirty-nine year old man living in London. He secretly hates the Party and decides to rebel by starting a diary in which he reveals his rebellious thoughts. Through keeping a diary, Winston commits thoughtcrime and knows that one day he will be discovered by the Thought Police and probably killed.
Winston is fascinated by "proles," the lowest class in the social hierarchy of Oceania. They are the only group allowed to live pretty much as they like without heavy police surveillance. He befriends Mr. Charrington, the prole owner of a junk-shop, who shares his interest in the past and life before the rule of Big Brother.
At work, a dark-haired girl who works in another department approaches Winston in the corridor. She pretends to fall and hurt herself; when he helps her up she slips a piece of paper into his hand. It says "I love you." Winston is surprised and disturbed by this; any sexual relationship between Party members is strictly forbidden. Nevertheless, he is intrigued. They secretly arrange to meet in the country. He begins a love affair with the girl, who finally introduces herself as Julia. They have to be very cautious and meet in places that aren't watched: a clearing in the woods, an old church. Winston and Julia eventually rent the room above Mr. Charrington's junk-shop as a long-term private place for the two of them.
A member of the Inner Party, O'Brien, finds an excuse to give Winston his home address, an unusual event. Winston, noticeably excited, has always believed O'Brien may not be politically orthodox and could sympathize with his hatred of the Party. Winston and Julia go to see O'Brien and he enlists them into the Brotherhood, a secret organization dedicated to fighting Big Brother. He arranges to give Winston a copy of "The Book," a document that contains the truth about Big Brother and the development of the super-states. Winston and Julia go to their room above the junk-shop to read the book. The Thought Police burst in to arrest them and they discover that Mr. Charrington is a Thought Police agent. They are taken separately to the Ministry of Love. There, Winston learns that O'Brien is in fact an orthodox government agent and has deliberately tricked him. O'Brien takes charge of the process of "re-integrating" Winston, torturing and brainwashing him until he fully believes in the Party and its doctrines. As the final step of this process, Winston is forced to betray his love for Julia, and his feelings for her are destroyed.
Winston is released to live out his final days as a broken man. Soon, the Thought Police will execute him. Winston has submitted completely and loves Big Brother.
Aldous Huxley Brave New World
In the "brave new world" of 632 A. F. (After Ford), universal human happiness has almost been achieved. Control of reproduction, genetic engineering, conditioning - especially via repetitive messages delivered during sleep - and a perfect pleasure drug called "Soma" are the cornerstones of the new society. Reproduction has been removed from the womb and placed on the conveyor belt, where reproductive workers tinker with the embryos to produce various grades of human beings, ranging from the super-intelligent Alpha Pluses down to the dwarfed semi-moron Epsilons.
Each class is conditioned to love its type of work and its place in society; for example, Epsilons are supremely happy running elevators. Outside of their work, people spend their lives in constant pleasure. This involves consuming and continually buying new things, whether they need them or not, participating in elaborate sports, and free-floating sex. While uninhibited sex is universal and considered socially constructive, love, marriage, and parenthood are viewed as obscene.
The story is about Bernard, an alpha whose programming is a bit off – he is discontented and desires to spend time alone just thinking or looking at the stars. At one point he takes Lenina on a vacation to the savage reservation in New Mexico. There he discovers John (the "Savage"), son of Linda who had visited the reservation more than 20 years previously and was accidentally left behind. When she discovered she was pregnant (the ultimate humiliation!), she had to remain among the savages. John returns to the Brave New World where he is celebrated as the Visiting Savage. However, he cannot adapt to this totally alien society and, ultimately, he takes his own life.
Ray Bradbury Fahrenheit 451
Guy Montag is a fireman who lives in a society in which books are illegal. His job is not to extinguish fires, but to light them. He burns books, and all the firemen wear the number "451" on their uniforms because that is the temperature at which books burn.
But the role reversal of the firemen is not the only difference between present-day society and the world in which Montag lives. People of Montag's world take no interest in politics or world issues. The only point of life is pleasure. Montag's wife, Mildred, spends her time watching the televisions that take up three of the four walls in their parlor, or listening to the seashell radios that fit snugly in the ear. It isn't until Montag meets a young girl named Clarisse that he realizes that there might be more to life than the electronic entertainment that absorbs everyone. Clarisse makes him think about the world beyond the wall television and seashell radios; she makes him wonder about life.
This newfound curiosity gets Montag into trouble when he takes an interest in reading the books that he's supposed to burn. When Captain Beatty, the fire chief, realizes that Montag has changed sides, he forces Montag to burn his own home. To save himself, Montag kills the fire chief and escapes the city. A manhunt ensues on live television, but when Montag escapes the authorities, an innocent man is killed in his place to appease the audience.
Montag joings a group of educated, vagrant men who remember great novels so that when the world returns to an appreciation of literature, they will be ready to help out. As they are walking away from the city, a bomb destroys the place that was once Montag's home. Knowing they will be needed, the men turn back to the shattered city to help rebuild a society that has destroyed itself.
While the novel is most often classified as a work of science fiction, it is first and foremost a social criticism warning against the danger of censorship. It uses the genre of science fiction, which enjoyed immense popularity at the time of the book's publication, as a vehicle for his message that unchecked oppressive government irreparably damages society by limiting the creativity and freedom of its people. In particular, the "dystopia" motif popular in science fiction - a futuristic technocratic and totalitarian society that demands order and harmony at the expense of individual rights - serves the novel well.
Developed in the years following World War II, the book condemns not only the anti-intellectualism of the defeated Nazi party in Germany, but more immediately the intellectually oppressive political climate of the early 1950's - the heyday of McCarthyism. That such influential fictional social criticisms such as Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984 were published just a few short years prior to Fahrenheit 451 is not coincidental. These works reveal a very real apprehension of the danger of the US evolving into an oppressive, authoritarian society in the post-WWII period.
How to structure your texts
Introduction | Einleitung |
It is often claimed that … | Es wird oft behauptet, dass … |
It is a commonplace that … | Es ist eine Binsenweisheit, dass … |
… So the question arises whether … | Deshalb stellt sich die Frage, ob … |
It is a well-known fact that … | Es ist allgemein bekannt, dass … |
It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that … | Man kann ohne große Übertreibung sagen, dass … |
According to the latest statistics … | Laut der neuesten Statistiken … |
Main part | Hauptteil |
Structuring Arguments | Argumente strukturieren |
Firstly ... secondly ... finally ... | Erstens ... zweitens ... schließlich |
First of all / To begin with I would like to ... | Zunächst einmal |
In addition / Moreover / Besides / Furthermore ... | Darüberhinaus |
Another significant advantage is ... | Ein weitere(r) |
This brings us to the question whether ... | Daraus ergibt sich die Frage, ob |
But above all one must not forget that ... | Aber vor allem |
Personal opinion | Persönliche Meinung |
In my opinion / To my mind you can say that ... | Meiner Meinung nach |
It seems to me that this is not the solution to ... | Es scheint mir, dass |
The way I see it / In my view we should keep in mind that … | Meiner Ansicht nach |
I am (absolutely) convinced that ... | Ich bin (völlig) überzeugt |
I maintain that ... | Ich bleibe dabei, dass |
Personal attitude | Eigene Einstellung |
Obviously / Doubtless | Offensichtlich / Zweifellos |
Funnily enough / Strangely a lot of people think that ... | Komischer- / Seltsamerweise |
Fortunately / Luckily this is not the only argument against ... | Glücklicherweise |
Unfortunately / Regrettably he fails to acknowledge that ... | Leider |
Frankly / Generally | Offen / Allgemein gesagt |
Comparisons | Vergleiche |
Compared with the situation ten years ago … | Verglichen mit |
In comparison with the US … | Im Vergleich mit |
There is a fundamental difference between … and … | wesentlicher Unterschied |
On the one hand ... on the other hand … | Auf der einen … anderen Seite |
Expressing contrast | Gegensatz ausdrücken |
We must not forget, however, that ... | jedoch |
All the same / Nevertheless, it is wrong to say that ... | Trotzdem |
In spite of / Despite all those arguments ... | Trotz |
Contrary to / In contrast to / Unlike the writer I think ... | Im Gegensatz zu |
It is true that ... but it is definitely wrong to say that ... | Zwar ... aber |
Giving an example | Beispiel geben |
Let us consider, for instance, … | zum Beispiel |
… is a striking example of … | ausgezeichnetes Beispiel für |
This incident serves to illustrate … | veranschaulicht |
Expressing doubt | Zweifel ausdrücken |
It is doubtful / questionable whether … | Es ist zweifelhaft / fraglich, ob … |
It remains to be seen whether … | Es bleibt abzuwarten, ob … |
I have a few reservations about the book. | ein paar Vorbehalte gegenüber |
It is by no means certain that … | Es ist keinesfalls sicher, dass … |
Disagreeing | Widerspruch einlegen |
I find it hard to believe that … | Ich kann nur schwer glauben, dass |
Her claim lacks credibility. | ist unglaubwürdig |
I remain unconvinced by his statement. | überzeugt mich nicht |
It is completely / totally / absolutely wrong to believe that ... | völlig / ganz und gar |
He is thoroughly / entirely wrong when he claims ... | völlig |
The author is terribly / greatly mistaken when he says that … | sich gewaltig irren |
His theory is totally inaccurate. | vollkommen falsch |
Logical consequence | Logische Folge |
So / Therefore / That is why we cannot simply assume | Deshalb |
From all this it follows that ... | Aus all dem folgt, dass … |
The logical conclusion from all this is that … | die logische Schlussfolgerung |
Conclusion | Schluss |
To conclude / In conclusion you can safely say that ... | Zusammenfassend |
All in all I therefore reject the view that ... | Alles in allem |
To sum up I am seriously opposed to the writer's position that ... | Zusammenfassend |
Weighing the pros and cons one comes to the conclusion that ... | Wenn man das Für und Wider abwägt … |
Freitag, 14. November 2008
Could Shakespeare survive in Hollywood?
Ein interessanter Artikel, der versucht, diese Frage zu beantworten und der zu einem erstaunlichen Resultat kommt.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6492156
Mittwoch, 5. November 2008
Text of Obama's victory speech
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.