Wolfgang Mieder, widely considered the world's greatest proverb
scholar, here considers the role of proverbial speech on the
American political stage from the Revolutionary War to the present.
He begins his survey by discussing the origins and characteristics
American proverbs and their spread across the globe hand in hand
with America's international political role. He then looks at the
history of the defining proverb of American democracy, "government
of the people, by the people, for the people." Subsequent essays
consider such matters as Abigail Adams's masterful use of
politically charged proverbs; the conversion of the biblical
proverb "a house divided against itself cannot stand" into a
political expression; Frederick Douglass's proverbial prowess in
the battle against racial injustice; how United States presidents
have employed proverbial speech in their inaugural addresses; and
the proverbial language in the World War II correspondence between
Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, which sharpened their
communication and helped forge bonds of cooperation. Mieder
concludes with an insightful, relevant examination of the
significance of the ambiguous proverb "good fences make good
neighbors."
eISBN: 978-0-87421-518-2
Subjects: Sociology, Anthropology
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