English3
Evan Bayh’s Use of the First Person:
(1) To reference points in time in relationship to the speaker’s life (when I was a kid)
a. What is the difference between saying, “When I was a kid,” and saying, “Back in the early 1950’s.”
(2) To reference individuals in relation to the speaker (my father)
(3) Actions/events the speaker is currently engaged in (I am in class)
(4) The speaker’s thoughts/emotions (I feel unsure)
a. EX: “I’m thinking that it would be nice to see Maine this summer.”
(5) To reference events that happened to the speaker in the past (I encountered resistance).
(6) To reference events the speaker intends to undertake (I will be picking it up)
Bayh NEVER uses the first person to convey his:
(1) Opinion
(2) Values
(3) Thoughts
a. EX: “I think we should go.”
(4) Feelings
(5) Impressions
For example, Bayh never says, “I think the Senate would be better served if we all had lunch together on a quarterly basis.”
Instead, he conveys opinion in a declarative way, which makes it appear more like a fact, than an opinion: “The filibuster is not well utilized.”