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Rhetorical Analysis Of King's 'Bank Of Justice'

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King uses banking as an analogy to put emphasis on the lack of Civil Rights in America. He suggests that the “Bank of Justice,” (6) —the American government— has defaulted on the “promissory note” (4) — the Declaration of Independence — that was signed and would grant the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all men. In saying “America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’ ” (5) King further implies that African Americans have not received the equality that they were once promised. This also creates pathos, as it causes his audience to have a mild hatred for the government and think about the corruption that has taken place that has led them to cash — as King states

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