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Pathos In I Have A Dream Speech

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“I Have a Dream” is a great speech. The author, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- known for his work in the Civil Rights movement during the 60s – just openly addresses the nation on the state of Negro affairs. The purpose of the speech is to stimulate change and rekindle a battered flame in both black and white denizens’ of the United States. With this in mind, he makes it known that those who truly want it must accept change in a non-violent way. When it comes to the audience, the demographic of whom he means to address is very general; however, given the speech was presented in Washington, it is a possibility that the main goal was to reach law and policy creators who work within the nation’s capital. Because of his audience, Dr. King made sure to address his speech to all Americans. Because of this, King managed to effectively express civil rights issues using the rhetorical strategies of pathos and logos, to an audience that had a plethora of ethnicities and creeds.

King’s speech channels many of his personal thoughts and experiences. For instance: Dr. King utilizes pathos by relating his speech to his dreams and family. King states, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be …show more content…

King’s words are confident and purposeful. He was very aware of the demographic who attended his speech, and for this reason, he is mindful of his wording to avoid hurting his integrity with this audience. Using pathos and logos, Dr. King was able to inspire his followers to fight for change. He pointed out how flawed America was because it did not follow the principles it was founded upon and he used pathos to emotionally inspire people to take action for the sake of their family and future. His speech was so moving that it pushed the government to finally take action on civil rights and, because of its impact, would later be the reason he was awarded a Nobel Peace

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