...------------------------------------------------- AMERICAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE Civil Rights Movement Deyana Faraj On the 4th of July 1776, 56 delegates to the Continental Congress signed a document that would not only declare independence of America from British colonial power but less than 200 years later, become the backbone of a new established America where the walls of discrimination and segregation would finally begin to deteriorate. The Declaration of Independence is a powerful document that has led to the development of equal rights and social justice within societies on a world context. More specifically, principles in this document were instrumental when argued by African American Civil Rights leaders in achieving equality and abolishing racial segregation and discrimination against African- Americans in the United States, during the African American Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968). Before the American Civil Rights Movement, laws known as Jim Crow laws had forced racial segregation of facilities and the prohibition of intermarriage. These laws were similar to the apartheid legislation and it became the law mainly in the south of America. Where there is inequality and injustice within a government, the people of the nation demand change. Since the Jim Crow laws were enacted, the laws that mandated racial segregation in public areas and the prohibition of intermarriage in the Southern United States were socially and morally unjust and this fuelled...
Words: 2034 - Pages: 9
...University Rhetorical Analysis of Dr. Martin Luther Kings “I Have A Dream” (Revised) Introduction On August 28th 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the “I Have a Dream” speech which was addressed to not only the 200,000 white and black Americans but people all around the world. The “I Have A Dream” speech has been considered one of the most greatest and powerful speeches in history. Why was it given? Simply to rectify that all me were created equal despite their race or color. In this Analysis I will be explaining some literary terms he used as strategies in his speech, and also explain how Dr. King used two rhetorical patterns to help him support his argument, those two patters are Ethos, & Pathos. Strategies Dr. King used many literary terms in the “I Have a Dream” speech such as Alliteration, which is the repetition of sounds. For example he says, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” The “c” in those three words of that sentence gives it a repetitive rhythm feel which will make that important part of the speech catch and memorable. Also from that same sentence he used Anaphora, which describes the most famous part of the speech, where in this case is “I Have a Dream”. Although he used it many times just buy naming this speech “I Have a Dream” it will make everything he...
Words: 927 - Pages: 4
...A Rhetorical Analysis of MLK Jr.’s “I have a dream” Speech Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one hundred years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which outstandingly furthered the civil rights movement. At that time, racial segregation, police brutality, and other forms of racial inequality were terribly prominent in America. The speech successfully focused the country’s attention at the need for racial equality “Now” (King, I Have a Dream). King gave the speech in order to motivate his followers to peacefully continue to demonstrate, protest, and boycott until they were fully granted the equality and privileges that any other citizen was allowed to have. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech is his most notable, and one of the most influential of Twentieth-Century-America because of his excellent rhetorical use of repetition and anaphora, contrasting metaphors, and appropriate quotations and allusions throughout the speech. Martin Luther King Jr. used a profuse amount of repetition and anaphora throughout his speech. A subtle form of repetition, the repetition of singular words, was mainly used to emphasize key themes in the speech and keep them in the minds of the audience. Such repeated key themes were “freedom”, “justice” and “injustice”, “America” and “American”, and plural nouns such as “we” and “our”. Since the preceding words were repeated so frequently...
Words: 847 - Pages: 4
...RHETORICAL ANALYSIS 1 Rhetorical Analysis of “I Have Dream” Speech Alfonso Gonzalez Itt Technical Institute Instructor Deana Schoneberg EN 1320 RHETORICAL ANALYSIS 2 The main point of Dr. Kings speech was that an injustice had been done to the black people. They were promised freedom from the emancipation proclamation and up to that point they still were not free. They were segregated and treated like second class citizens. Were they suppose to sit down and let white men at that time humiliate them, beat them, bomb their houses, and strip them of human dignity? No! Dr. King was preaching to all who listened, that now was the time to metaphorically cash this check, a check that will give them upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. But to do this, not with violence or retaliation, “we must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.” (Carson, 1998, p225) This would be the way Dr. King would want to see his dream played out, with non -violence. Were all his efforts done in vain? On August 28, 1963, The March on Washington was organized by Bayard Rustin and led by union leader A. Philip Randolph. The backdrop ironically took place on the steps...
Words: 1127 - Pages: 5
...Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s Speech “I Have a Dream” Likita M. Taylor ITT-Tech English 1320: Composition I November 12 2012 Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s Speech “I Have a Dream” “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.” These are the opening words of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream speech”, which he predicted will be the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement and the turning point in finally ending segregation. Time and time again, his speech is credited as being “one of the most successful and most legendary speeches in United States history.”(Martin, 2010, 10 par 1). He was an astonishing, intelligent speaker who often relied on using strong rhetoric devices to get his message across. Through his articulate use of logos, pathos, and ethos, King was able to persuade his generation that "the Negro is not free.” (Martin 2001 par3). His speech became the rallying cry for civil rights and lives on to this day as a perpetual masterpiece. Before one can really understand the analysis of his speech, it is important to understand King’s arguments. His main point is that blacks are not free or equal according to the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. He argues that African-Americans must claim their full rights and demand liberation from inequality and suppression. King's audience is not only Black Americans, but his message...
Words: 794 - Pages: 4
...The film depicts the main character, Rocky Balboa, in a lower class neighborhood of Philadelphia, highlighting his surrounding environment, occupational value, friends and peers as impoverished. The first important part of the early exposition is the scenes showing Balboa at work, as a loan shark for a larger operation. This job requires Balboa to confront and physically assault debted customers if unable to make their respective payment. This lays the groundwork for the journey of achieving the “American Dream”. Balboa working such a low-end, odd job just to make ends meet symbolizes the working class, more specifically the lower class. This gives insight to the struggles these people face everyday, not only through Balboa’s work as a loan shark, but the dock worker in a dirty environment who is unable to pay his loan in the same scene. Many signs throughout the early exposition align with the reasoning within the rhetorical framework. For example, Rocky attempts to go to the boxing gym but because of his lack of success and low amount of money, Mick gives Rocky’s locker to...
Words: 1611 - Pages: 7
...Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech can be considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. Over 200,000 white and black Americans gathered in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963 to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver this groundbreaking speech. This essay will analyze the speech for voice and rhetoric by showing King's main argument, how he supports that argument, identifying the language he used and the audience at whom it was directed. In addition, King argues that all men are equal and should be treated equal. Many times in his speech, King states how black citizens have been mistreated over the years. In the beginning of his speech King states "One hundred year later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination." King also states numerous times his dream for equality in the country. He says "I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." However, King uses many historical documents to support his argument. The first document he mentions is the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order signed by President Lincoln freeing the slaves in the confederate states. It was the first step in equality for African-Americans. King also mentions the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. He references these...
Words: 627 - Pages: 3
...Rhetorical Analysis – I Have a Dream. A speech, that will be remembered by many and be passed down from generation to generation, had shaped the future of America by the time Martin Luther King had stepped off the stage on August 28th, as he called for an end to racism in the United States during the March on Washington in 1963. This was one of, if not, the most powerful speech America has seen to this day. A beautiful way to begin! Good job! Martin Luther King stood on that stage with confidence and determination to make a change in the United States of America and it was shown through this rhetorical masterpiece titled “I Have a Dream”. The first line of the speech makes the audience aware of not only how serious he is, but also how determined and sure he is that his speech will change the civil rights in the United States of America; he could not have been more right about it. From the very first line, Martin Luther King had his audiences’ undivided attention. “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.” (Line 1-2, Page 1) His audience in this case would not only be his fellow Negroes who are still not free, but the rest of the Americans that attended the March on Washington. Little did he know that the whole world would be his audience… Good! In this first line we see him start off with using logos. He refers to the USA as “our” nation. We see this throughout the...
Words: 995 - Pages: 4
...Analysis of “Chinese Partner”from Sociology perspective The movie “Chinese Partner” tells a story about the process of three young men get together to entrepreneurs. After watching “Chinese Partner”, I observed four main sociological theories which are related to the movie. First, it is the deviance behaviors. Secondly, it is the socialization. Then comes the stratification and the last is school education. Deviance Cheng Dongqing chose to be a home tutor apart from being an English teacher in Yanyuan University. And this behavior was considered to be a deviant behavior at that time, because Yanyuan University thought teachers taught outside to earn money would cause adverse effects to school, disrupt the teaching order and did not be allowed by school. Cheng’s behavior was thought to be against with the social norm. Cheng Dongqing is a timid man, he chose to conduct deviant behavior because he wanted to earn more money to take care of his girlfriend and his family but there were too little on the legitimate means according to strain theory. From a sociology perspective, society uses social control to avoid and discourage deviance, and to pressurize individuals to follow social control. In the movie, Cheng was fired and criticized his behavior by broadcasting. Socialization In the movie, Meng Xiaojun told Cheng that everyone had a dream to go to America and then Cheng wanted to go to America as well. At that time, through the construction of social reality, people gave...
Words: 580 - Pages: 3
...The American dream has stood to be each person’s idea of success. The American dream is usually associated with 1940’s America depiction of the ideal family, as can be depicted from television shows such as Leave it to Beaver. However, this is one aspect and shallow analysis of the American dream that is not appropriate for all reaching to achieve their American dream. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Miller succeeds in portraying this through the characters Willy and Biff. Their conflict represents two varying perspectives of the American dream, and this very struggle leads to the conclusion that the American dream is rooted in the pursuit of a better life. Throughout Death of a Salesman, Miller portrays two ideas of the American dreams and it is definite that they are “American dreams” as they both deal with success and that character’s idea of success. Though, this is where characters’ views differ and conflict with one another. Willy’s American dream is to have his children succeed and to leave his imprint on the society which he was unable to succeed in doing so in a life long career as a salesman. Furthermore, Willy lived in the ideology that being “well liked” was far more important and and necessary than being a Bernard type of person and make a living based on his studies. Willy’s belief and encouragement of this ideology upon his sons influenced Biff immensely. As a result, Biff did not put the effort into his studies that would have enabled him to pass...
Words: 750 - Pages: 3
...Renowned civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his notorious speech, “I Have a Dream”, in the midst of societal strife across the United States. Throughout his oration, King lances at the status quo, one where African Americans are degraded and demeaned to the sewers of American society; instead, he proposes a new country—a new way—where African Americans will fight until they obtain the rights they were originally promised. In superb recognition of his audience, King uses a litany of devices, from metaphors to anaphora, in order to develop rage within the audience—a unifying quality that would undoubtedly drive a movement facing gusty headwinds. Intending to concisely state the purpose of his speech, Martin Luther King utilizes...
Words: 863 - Pages: 4
...to effective and ineffective public speaking and recommendations for improvement supported by concepts from the course. In addition, discuss witnessed practices that you wish to incorporate and avoid along with a rationale. Your paper should be 3 - 4 pages in length, and incorporate course references as part of your analysis. This assignment represents 6% of the course grade. The artifact itself, I consider to be one of the most influential pieces of literature ever produced. From his enthusiastic delivery, Dr. King switch from reading a manuscript into speaking extemporaneously half way through the speech. Dr. King used an extensive amount of metaphors. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered “I Have a Dream” in transformation speech; even with limited hands motion. Dr. King delivered his speech with enough clarity for his audiences. Defoe (2007) explains about the importance of clarity and how “having a substantive message is important. ” Dr. Kings speech articulated his wording and it is very understandable to others like me (Defoe, 2007). To give the audience vivid images of what he is speaking about, King uses metaphors that contrast the racial situation in America in the past and present to the situation in the future. For instance, he uses the metaphor. "signing the promissory note" to refer to the promise given to all Americans...
Words: 1219 - Pages: 5
...I Have a Dream: Critique ‘I Have a Dream’ is a 17 minute speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. on 28 August, 1963 in Washington D.C. during the ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom’. Addressing more than 200,000 both, Black and White American civil rights supporters, from the steps of Lincoln Memorial along with the thousands of Americans viewing the live national broadcast, King effectively got his stance as a leading civil rights activist in the American Civil Rights Movement across: an end to the prevalent racial discrimination in the country; an end to the inequality, inferiority, oppression and injustice; a ray of hope for a free, prosperous and bright future for the Black Americans. Even though King relies too heavily on emotional reasoning rather than logic and does not provide the audience with any practical ways of achieving his goal of eliminating racial discrimination, he still succeeds in persuading them through a well structured and researched speech, the use of the Aristotelian appeals of ethos and pathos, visual metaphors, repetition of phrases and words and identification with the audience using a ‘we’ oriented approach. His entire speech is so well structured that it could be broken down into two visible chunks; presenting a wonderful transition from ‘what is’ to ‘what ought to be’. Initially he brings to light the harsh reality being lived by Black Americans from the past to present; their poor, deplorable plight, the grave oppression and...
Words: 2170 - Pages: 9
...Literary Techniques of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech Literary Techniques of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech Introduction Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent civil rights leader, delivered a powerful speech at the historic March on Washington. The speech uses several literary techniques to engage the listener. In the speech, King especially likes to use repetition and metaphor to convey his ideas. These devices are the foundation of King?s unique and effective style. Repetition In I Have a Dream King uses repetition throughout. Repetition is a good tool to use to reinforce an important idea. In Dorothy Seyler?s Read, Reason, Write, she states: ?Some repetition of key words and phrases will occur in well-written and unified essays. Some writers, though, go beyond this technique of unified writing and use repetition to produce an effective cadence, like a drum beating in the background, keeping time with the speaker?s fist pounding the lectern for emphasis.? (58). King?s speech is a perfect representation of this. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons...
Words: 2738 - Pages: 11
...Over time the American dream has proven to be a unique perception in which Americans have connected through personal experiences and life narratives. The American dream is not established in origin, religion or some form of history the American dream is molded and defined by unified values. The American dream shows its true nationality identity in the world through principles and morals which are embedded in self-reliance, self-actualization and individualism. This three principles make it possible for Americans to achieve overall fulfillment in their destiny. They are self-reliant and believe in the promise that through hard work and dedication life can be better and different. The provable documentations of these values in relationship to...
Words: 949 - Pages: 4
