A Comparative Analysis of the Two Different Framing Strategies of Brexit: Exemplified by the Speeches of David Cameron and Theresa May

Abstract

Taking as its data of the two speeches by David Cameron and Theresa May, this paper summarizes different frames in order to generalize the strategies towards Brexit. The expressions are classified into the non-metaphorical ones and the metaphorical ones, in order to analyze the surface frames. The former collect the high-frequency words for an insight into the theme, while the latter construct various frames of person, race, building, journey, voyage, business and war. By comparisons, the deep frames can be further discovered that although some frames are shared by two speeches, the strategies vary. David Cameron stuck to fixed model, claiming Brexit a negativity, punishment and calling for group sympathy; while Theresa May adopted growth model, believing Brexit positively beneficial and advocating independence. In this way, this paper will enrich the study of frames to some degree, and help to provide reference for the future fluctuations on the road to Brexit.