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Critical essays on i have a dream speech by martin luther king
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Critical analaysis of the speech by Martin Luther King have a dream
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On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out against racism during the Civil Rights movement in order to fight for equal rights for every race and end discrimination against African Americans. During the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968), there were many acts of civil disobedience, which led to violence and even deaths of the protesters. There were also many nonviolent protests, such as sit-ins, marches, and speeches, to get people’s attention so that their voices would be heard and their desires fulfilled. Martin Luther King believed in the nonviolent approach to gain the rights he desired because in his opinion, it was the most powerful weapon against any enemy. On August 28th Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. makes a very …show more content…
memorable rhetorical appeal in front of millions of people during The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom to end discrimination and segregation of people with different skin tones. Dr. King uses his “I Have a Dream” speech to inspire others to fight for what they believe is right and to make others aware of the changes that need to be made for a better future with his emotional, hopeful, and logical appeals. On that day in Washington, D.C., the world realized during this impactful speech the necessary and important changes that were about to occur in order for everyone, no matter their skin color, to gain the equal rights and privileges that they all deserved. Dr. King talks about knowledgeable figures and events to express his ethos in his speech. He describes the views of these people and shows the similarities between their protests, as well as what they were all trying to accomplish, to prove his credibility. Dr. King refers to Abraham Lincoln when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed all African American slaves in 1863 by declaring, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation” (King). Abraham Lincoln believed that slavery was evil and lobbied against it because of how awful slavery had treated the Negro. Dr. King mentions Lincoln because of their similar beliefs in the elimination of inequality among Americans and to show that the idea of this has been around for at least 100 years. Dr. King also brings up, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men...black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the ‘Unalienable Rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” (King). He is describing the given rights to all Americans and expresses how America has failed to deliver those rights because of the inequality and discrimination going on today. Both of these documents written by the impactful leaders of our nation were used to represent the rights that every single person should receive. Therefore, Dr. King uses them to show the audience how the laws and rights given are not being executed and are causing the citizens to be cheated out of they legally deserve. In the beginning of Dr. King’s speech, King introduces his logical and religious appeal to the protesters. He brings up the facts of the American past to show everyone how long the mistreatment of the Negro has lasted. He also repeatedly brings up God to express to the people from a religious point of view how the Lord would like the world to be. This gives the people another push to bring upon the change he envisions. To show more history of the racial issue, Dr. King recalls, “One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” (King). Even after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, the African American people were still not free and still seen as lower and unworthy because of their skin tone. Dr. King wants America to realize that the Negro is continually discriminated against. Since this has been a continuous problem, Dr. King expresses to the people, “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds” (King). He believes that America has totally forgotten the promise it made to give equal rights to all people and instead made the African American subordinate and unworthy of them. Dr. King knows, “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all God’s children” (King). He brings up God to appeal to religious people and convince them that we are all equal in God’s eyes so they will begin making change in the world. King wants it to seem as though God is on the side of the people. Throughout Dr.
King’s speech, he has a powerful tone and hopeful diction to show his commitment to the cause and his own desire for equality. He expresses towards the end of his speech hope for a better future for all races as well as his faith in the people to unite together as one. To show his audience his dedication to them and that he is equal, he expresses to them, “As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead” (King). He wants the crowd to know that he is standing by their side in this battle for rights and that they need to stick together and continue to move forward toward the future no matter the hardships. Having the same beliefs with the people he is trying to persuade and motivate is a key factor that Dr. King uses. By declaring, “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope” (King) he is also demonstrating his commitment and expectation for the new beginning that will come from this. He expresses that if they stick together they can morph the hardships into something brighter and better. People often describe their challenges as mountains that they must knock down to overcome which is how Dr. King views the challenge of segregation. He also describes their hope as a stone; rocks are commonly referred to as people’s foundation which represents Dr. King's view on their hopeful future and how if they stick together, they will have a sturdy and hopeful future. To leave a lasting impression on his …show more content…
audience, Dr. King concludes, “...when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring...we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” (King). This is the closing line of Dr. King’s speech in which he begins to raise his voice to get the crowd excited for what is in store. Hearing his powerful voice to close out his speech with words of hope and unification of the nation, leaves the people remembering his protest and ready for change. By the end of Dr.
King’s speech, he begins motivating his people and providing hope to them. The most impactful and inspiring pieces of his speech are found in its pathos. His dream is for everyone “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream” (King). It is not just envisioned for blacks or whites, he sees a better and harmonic future for everyone in the United States of America. He also sees all Americans facing difficulties but dreaming of a time when they can face them together and get through it no matter what they are up against. As a father, Dr. King shares the same dream with every other man would have for their children. He begins listing his dreams which include, “my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by their skin but by the content of their character” (King). This appeals to all the families, especially fathers, who want the best for their children and provides a human emotional appeal to all Americans. Expressing his faith-based appeal again, he indicates that everyone will one day come together, “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together” (King). Dr. King uses his religious appeal to show how the Lord is above us all and everyone, no matter their skin color, will glorify him
together. In Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech to the Americans around the world, he successfully convinces the citizens to move forward in the process of ridding the nation of racism for good. This speech by Dr. King has become one of the most well known in history because of his ability to convince his audience to work together in a nonviolent way to change the world. Before this speech was given, the eradication of racism and segregation moved extremely slow. So much so that even though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued one hundred years before Dr. King even gave his speech, slavery was still an issue. This speech pushed the civil rights movement further and really helped Dr. King to become more well known than ever before. He effectively got people excited about the changing future and persuades them to work together and unite as one with his powerful tone and encouraging words throughout his speech. He establishes his authority, emotionally and equally relates to his people, and logically persuades the crowd with his rhetorical appeals to end segregation and finally acquire civil rights for all citizens of the United States of America.
“Death is the only pure, beautiful conclusion of a great passion” (David Herbert Lawrence). Coretta Scott King was an inspiring person to women of all ages and races. However her death had an impact on everyone, she was seen as an idol, more importantly as a leader. Malcom X’s daughter Attallah Shabazz who is also Mrs. King’s most pride supporter addresses her remarks in her eulogy and engages the people at the funeral service for Mrs. King on the sorrowful day of February 7th, 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia. With hundreds of people, (mainly women) watching on TV or listening in the stands during this depressing time reflect and honor on the achievements and positive attitude she had on the community for others. Attallah Shabazz hoped that this event
In the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. responds to an article by eight clergymen, in which he explains the racial injustice in Birmingham, and reasons why King's organization is protesting for Civil Rights. He introduces himself and his actions at the beginning of his letter. He states that the purpose of his direct action protest is to open the door for negotiation on the Civil Rights. He tries to convince his audience by providing evidence in order to gain his audience to be involved in his movement and support him. He also highlights police actions against nonviolent Negros and crimes against humanity in Birmingham city jail.
Martin Luther King, Jr., born on January 15, 1929, was well known for his nonviolent movement to bring justice and to an end to the segregation of the people in the United States back in the 1950s. With King being the leader of a peaceful protest, it failed to bring equally to the colored people. Martin Luther King, Jr. was labeled as an “outsider” who was “hatred and violence” and that his actions were “unwise and untimely” from the Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen (clergymen). In response, on the day of April 16, 1963, he wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail to declare and defense his movement was not “unwise and untimely” at all. To analyze his points, King used the powerful literary devices of pathos- use of an emotional appeal.ethos-
Dr. King announced the “I Have A Dream” speech in front of 200,000 African American families and to a few Caucasians who were at the scene of his speech. Dr. King’s speech was mainly addressed to the African Americans, to explain one day there will be equality in all Caucasians and other ethnicities such as; Hispanics, Native Americans and Asian Americans. Therefore at the time of his speech, his audiences were to the 200,000 people who attended the speech but he was also referring to all other ethnicities as well. To his audience for example, he said as the future years pass, the hardship they are going through would pay off for the future children. For example, in his speech he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be jugged by the color of their skin but by their content of character.
Persuasion Throughout history there have been many struggles for freedom and equality. There was the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. There was the fight against government censorship in Argentina, spoken against by Luisa Valenzuela. And there was the struggle for women's equality in politics, aided by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
In Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech, “I Have a Dream,” Dr. King addresses the nation in the March on Washington during one of America’s most fragile and dark times. King carries on his shoulders the responsibility of bringing a broken nation back together. He attempts to appeal to his audience of several thousand people through his use of logos, ethos, and pathos. King understands the importance of his opportunity; he needs to capture the attention and grab the heartstrings of his massive audience of people from all walks of life.
In King's Letter, he clearly states his views and beliefs to not only stand up for himself, but also to stand up for equality and justice for all. His actions also show his commitment to his belief. King later goes on to tell how he was going to achieve his goal. He states that he will be doing it in a non-violent manner which was influenced by Mahatma Ghandi. He also says that this will be done in a well-thought-out, civilized manner. Next, he begins to show them some of the actions that the police force took, such as letting dogs loose on the people and their harsh treatment of the people. Dr. King states that he saw the dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. They refused the give them food because they wanted to sing
Martin Luther King Jr’s most compelling point was that every person has the same rights
The author of the “I Have A Dream” speech is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King, known for his work in Civil Rights during the 1960s. In this informative speech, Dr. King inspires individuals to have a change in both white and black citizens during the Civil RIghts era in the United States. Moreover, the premise of the speech is that both sides of the discussion must accept change in a non-violent yet effective way. He spoke about the injustices of segregation and discrimination of black citizens that was occurring in our nation. As he opened, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation,” he explained what he was there to do for all citizens. He is
One of the most influential speeches ever given on the earth was given on a potiumat the Lincoln Momorial in Washington D.C on August 28th 1963. The great speech was given by Martin Luther King Jr. who deciatied his time on earth to prove that all people are equal. Martin Luther used different parts of the English language to enhance the meaning of his speech and bring out the details. The different rhetorical devices, allusions to historic documents, and metaphors seemed to have brought about the emotions that King was trying to arouse in his listeners. This helped him influence his listeners towards wanting equality for all and changing what was happening in the present so they didn't repeat things in the past .
Dr. King uses ethos, logos, and pathos effectively throughout his letter to address a large audience. He intertwines the three rhetorical strategies seamlessly to support his argument. Although Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has his critics in the clergy who argue against his civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, he effectively uses all three types of rhetorical strategies to effective persuade his critics by explaining why his actions are just and timely in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
From time immemorial, the promoters of social justice utilize rhetorical strategies to persuade theirs opponents of theirs claims. The proponents of the movement for civil rights for African Americans have made an intensive use of those strategies to advocate their cause. On April 16, 1963, from the jail of Birmingham, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote an extensive missive to eight clergymen who had attacked his work for civil rights in a public statement released on April 12, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr. primarily aimed this letter at those eight leaders of the white Church of the South. However, the eight clergymen's letter and the response from Martin Luther King, Jr. were publicly published. Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted to convince of the utility of his commitment in this particular area at this specific moment. To persuade his readers, Martin Luther King, Jr. predominantly employs Aristotle's three types of persuasion that are appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. First, he appeals to his own reputation and wisdom. Second, he tries to arouse emotions or sympathy in the readers. Finally, he appeals to logic, supported with evidence and citations from influential thinkers.
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech to more than 200,000 people during the March on Washington. King's speech was one of the most influential during the era of the Civil Rights Movement and is to this day recognized as a masterpiece due to its effect on the audience as well as for its eloquence and language. Many components went into this passionate speech that portrayed King's hopes for racial equality and a brighter future made the speech as moving as it was. It is doubtful that any person can guess that this speech was written without forethought regarding what goals King wished to accomplish in this speech. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eloquent language was perfectly suited to his audience, both his immediate and secondary audience, and his carefully chosen diction helped to shape arguable one of the most touching works ever spoken.
In his speech, he proclaimed a free and better nation of equality and that both races, the blacks and the whites, should join together to achieve common ground and to support each other instead of fighting against one another. King’s vision is that all people should be judged by their “personality and character and not by their color of skin”(‘I Have a Dream”). All points he made in his speech were so strong that lots of people were interested in his thoughts. He dreamed of a land where the blacks could vote and have a reason to vote and where every citizen would be treated the same and with the same justice. He felt that all Americans should be equal and that they should forget about injustice and segregation. He wanted America to know what the problems were and wanted to point out the way to resolve these problems.
King begins his speech by referencing important historical documents such as the Constitution of the United States and the Emancipation Proclamation. This is emphasized when he states, ”Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation...But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free”. Which shows how even though the Emancipation Proclamation freed the African Americans from slavery, they still are not free because of segregation. He then transitions to the injustice and suffering that the African Americans face. He makes this