Forging Revolutionary Consciousness: Rhetorical and Discursive Strategies in Li Dazhao’s “The Victory of the Common People”

This paper examines the rhetorical and discursive strategies in Li Dazhao’s 1918 manifesto, The Victory of the Common People, to demonstrate how language functions as a constitutive force in revolutionary mobilization. Moving beyond the conventional dichotomy of Li’s ideological content versus literary style, this study develops an integrated framework combining Kenneth Burke’s rhetoric with Critical Discourse Analysis. It analyzes three interconnected operations: the construction of a cognitive frame through metaphor and symbol that naturalizes revolution; the discursive interpellation of readers into revolutionary subject positions via pronouns and narrative; and the cultural activation of Marxist theory through a synthesis of Chinese and Western rhetorical forms. The paper argues that Li’s unique efficacy lies in this masterful synthesis, which transformed abstract theory into a culturally resonant and emotionally compelling call to action. By revealing these mechanisms, the study contributes not only to the understanding of a pivotal text in modern Chinese political history but also to broader interdisciplinary discourse about the role of discourse in political change.