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Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Rhetorical Analysis The ultimate goal of justice is slowly but surely still being achieved for the black community today. (SS) A day that heavily influenced this achievement was in 1963 during the March on Washington, in front of the Lincoln Memorial. (SS) The man who changed lives that day not only wanted people to hear his message, but also apply it to their live. (SS) In his famous, “I Have a Dream” speech Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. uses repetition, specific, illustrative details and examples, allusions, and figurative language in order to amplify his message that his audience needed to bond together to fight for civil rights and justice immediately. (com)
Dr. King emphasizes the fact that his dream is to achieve …show more content…

(SS) King was able to push the idea of hope at the beginning of his speech with the simile, “This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope...” (SS) The momentous decree is the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves, and reminded the people that they were technically free. (SS) Giving the audience hope, this reminder meant that one day soon the black community will also be treated as free Americans. (SS) There will be still water when the growth of racial problems is put to an end as said in King’s quote,“...from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” (SS) The quicksands of racial injustice are referring to the people being consumed by racial prejudice, and only when people stop allowing themselves to be consumed by the racism will they be able to join forces with everyone to create a stable environment. (CS) To achieve this environment, the black community must also work with the white community despite their differences. (SS) The metaphor, “...to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood” symbolizes the connections that need to be made in order to achieve Dr. King’s dream. (SS) The jangling discords are being compared to racial issues; the symphony of brotherhood is when those issues are resolved by teamwork. (CS) In the end, blacks and whites will live together in harmony like King wanted, and they will also have received the justice they had worked hard for. (CS) With the help of metaphors, Dr. King was able to get across the idea that his audience was stronger together, and they will end racial problems and discrimination because of it.

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