Jacinta Adern Speech Argument Analysis

In response to the Christchurch terrorist massacre, New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinta Adern
passionately addresses her nation through a socio-political lens seen in the transcript of her speech
at Christchurch Memorial, (The Guardian, 16 May 2021), condemning this recent tragic event as an
“assault on [their] freedom” in the hands of culturally motivated extremism, concerning
international security. This is reinforced by the visual photograph depicting Adern in a serious, yet
assured manner addressing New Zealand citizens, including the Muslim community, as well as the
broader international audience, with the purpose of reassuming her fellow citizens and country to
create a sense of “security” and “unity”.

Adern opens her speech through an emotional approach, employing a grave tone to address her
citizens of New Zealand as she expresses her support and solace for the Muslim community enduring
the “pain and suffering of 50 men, women and children lost and injured”, and assures that this grief
and hardship is experienced on a national scale. Adern sets the sombre atmosphere as she
metaphorically states “ from our darkest of hours”, a time of affliction where darkness pervades the
nation, to a time of pain as innocent people of the New Zealand community have been “the target of
hatred and violence”. The visual supports this displaying a muted colour scheme, with a background
enshrouded in darkness and the prime minister’s serious facial expression that reflect her concerns
of the tragedy. She is also depicted wearing the Maori traditional clothing, to position herself as an
inclusive leader that deeply cares for her nation’s cultures. In her speech, her utilization of the
Arabic phrase “As-alaam Alaikum” represents this inclusiveness to find peace together as a nation,
appealing to a sense of greater unity and patriotic nationalism. She encourages the New Zealand
citizens “all of [those] to grieve with them” and “[leave] us united”, and to embrace the sense of
unity, empathy and cultural understanding, as they go through this difficult period of time together.
This is further reinforced through the repetition of “simple words” that were “repeated by
community” which encourages and brings an emphasis on the compassionate qualities of the New
Zealand citizens. Adern signifies how a nation with vast arrays of people and cultures can break the
boundaries of divide and come together and support each other even through the darkest of times.

As Adern expands on her denunciation of terrorism, she shifts her concerns to a collective response
through a social lens of the responsibility of the citizens and society, drawing on “those values that
represent the very best of [them]”. Adern highlights anecdotes and the “stories of bravery” of those
“who had made New Zealand their home”, which she uses to give strength and courage to a grieving
nation. The anecdote of a “95 year old man who took four buses to attend a rally because he
couldn’t sleep” adheres to stories of actions of some who are “mak[ing] the very best” which they
can learn from in being a true New Zealander and showing their support. Alongside this, Adern
adheres to the values of being “kind and compassionate” and a “place that is diverse…[and]
welcoming”, which she encourages the “responsibility” of the nation to uphold despite that “racism
exists”. However she clearly proclaims that it is “not welcome here” although metaphorically “event
the ugliest of viruses can exist in places they are not welcome”. Adern asserts using an emotional
tone that before the “assault to freedom” and the “violence and extremism” plagues the country
and more citizens are targeting for “their faith or religion” her nation can be the one “that discovers
the cure”, evoking a sense of patriotic unity. This is conveyed in the visual where Adern is
strategically positioned with a medium camera shot, which signifies her inclusiveness and
connection with audience as the share a collective “responsibility” to defeat what is taking down
the pride and security of their nation. The prime minister reaches out to the New Zealand audience
and shifts their awareness that this cultural motivated extremism is a “virus of hate” and shouldn’t
be taken lightly.
In the closing of her speech, Aderns her broadens her scope of this culturally targeted extremism to
the international community and aiming a call to action for moral obligation in a rational line of
argument. She indicates that“[they] have work to do” and that is not to “leave the job of combatting
hate to the government alone”, she affirms using inclusive language that “in [their] words and in
[their] actions, in [their] daily acts of kindness”, they can become “the nation [they] believe
[themselves]] to be” appealing to patriotic unity and nationalism. She addresses “the global
community” and their duty in the “collective response”, and accept the truth of her argument,
utilizing loaded language that “the world has been stuck in a vicious cycle of extremism breeding
extremism”. Adern exerts her authority beyond to the wider international audience that this “is not
bound by domestic borders” and “cannot confront these issues alone” as it is a worldwide issue
where the “answer lies in our humanity”. She appeals to the universality of humanity and wanting to
live a life of peace and unity, and so using a moral imperative and high modality in her language
contends that “it must end” and something “must” be done. This is depicted clearly in the visual,
drawn by her serious facial expressions, and central lighting and positioning as she authorises her
leadership of her nation and an advocate for worldwide peace and unity. Adern underlines this
event as a “legacy of the 15th of March” something we can all learn from and something that has
brought the nation together. She finishes in the repetition of her deepest condolences to those
“[they] will remember”, ending on an emotional tone as she appeals to unity and connectedness of
her fellow New Zealanders. Adern ends her speech just like she had begun it, in a circular narrative
structure, as she chants her “national anthem” and phrases in Muslim, Maori and English as she
finishes by spreading the peace and hope to recover back better than ever to her nation.

Overall, in New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinta Adern’s speech she passionately condemns the
detrimental impacts of culturally motivated extremism, violence and terrorism seen on the 15 th May
at the Christchurch massacre. She spreads her deepest condolences, sympathy and her own grief, as
she reaches out to those greatly affected and encourages everyone in the nation to unite and
support each other even in the darkest times. Adern empowers a sense of patriotic unity and
nationalism to defeat this issue in her country, and fight against the “hatred” and “violence” that is
not welcome in their nation. As a leader of a nation, she addresses this issue to the global audience
and asserts that “the condemnation of violence and terrorism” is a “collective response” in order to
be able to achieve peace and security worldwide.