Sociology Essay: An Analysis of Oprah Winfrey's Harvard Speech

This essay presents a sociological analysis of Oprah Winfrey's 2013 commencement speech at Harvard University. The analysis focuses on the message, channel, setting, audience, and feedback of the speech. Winfrey's message centered on the importance of understanding one's purpose in life, regardless of success or failure. The speech, delivered at Harvard's Tercentenary Theatre to graduates, alumni, faculty, and their families, was intended to motivate the audience to strive for continuous self-improvement and recognize the difference between achievement and true success. The essay highlights the positive reception of the speech, noting the audience's enthusiastic applause and the speech's relevance in encouraging graduates to leverage their expertise for philanthropic endeavors. The analysis also considers the potential for minor interferences during the speech, such as audience reactions, but primarily emphasizes the overall positive and motivational impact of Winfrey's address.

Running Head: SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
Name of the Student:
Name of University:
Author Note:

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Speaker
The speaker of the speech was famous American talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
Message
Her message was that in failure or success one should know the purpose of life.
Channel
The speech was broadcasted on the 362nd Commencement of Harvard in Tercentenary
Theatre on May, 2013. The Harvard University management later uploaded it to YouTube
(Harvard University, 2013).
Interference
Based on the literal meaning of interference, it can be argued that there was no such noise
or interruption had occurred during the speech of Oprah Winfrey. However, there were little
chats and applause given by the audience that could be considered as interference but not in a
conventional manner.
Setting
The speech was given on the auspicious day of 362nd Commencement of the Harvard
graduates and Oprah Winfrey was invited to make a concluded speech. The entire program was
staged in the Tercentenary Theatre, an open platform with visitors’ gallery. Oprah Winfrey had
shared her story and speeches in front of the newly graduate and the alumni of Harvard.
Moreover, there were also the faculties and families of the graduated scholars present in the

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program. Therefore, it can be stated that the entire setting was based on a friendly and positive
environment that was enhanced further with the golden words of Oprah Winfrey.
Audience
The 2013 graduate and doctorate student batches from all academic stream of Harvard
accompanied with the Harvard alumni were presented in the program (Harvard University,
2013). Moreover, there are the families and the friends of the graduate and honorary doctorate
students were there in the event. The Harvard faculties were also in the lists of the invited guests.
Therefore, it was a huge educated gathering that was the major audience of the Harvard speech
of Oprah Winfrey.
Feedback
As far as the feedback or the reaction of the speech is concerned, it can be asserted that
the speech was a thrilling and highly motivating one that enthralled the entire Harvard campus. It
was associated with the huge applaud and cheers from the audience in the middle and the end of
the speech. The major objective of the speech was to make the newly graduate student that there
is no such end of success and once someone realise the difference between achievement and
success then he or she would always strive for more (Harvard University, 2013). In course of the
speech Oprah Winfrey also tried to influence the audience with her own story where she faced
both successes and failures consecutively. However, she was succeed to hold her nerve in crisis
period and tried to find out the best possible ways to make things right. During the speech she
put some significant stress on the self-realisation and self-evaluation process that are identified
as the mainstay of moving forward. The relevance and significance of the speech was that it tried
to penetrate into the mind of the newly graduate students of Harvard and intended to point out

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their expertise and nourish it, rather than satisfying with such an honourable degree. The
philanthropic influence was also been highlighted.

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Bibliography
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Harvard University. (2013). Oprah Winfrey Harvard Commencement speech [Video]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMWFieBGR7c