Throughout history the United States of America has been the arriving place for immigrants in search of a better life. America is perceived as the land where endless opportunities are available. The greatest explanation of the “American dream” is in Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech, he expressed his vision of equality, opportunity, and freedom. Dr. King’s powerful voice was the evidence of truth. At the time of his speech African Americans were not free, while the Declaration of Independence stated that all men are created equal.
They could not stand for the discrimination and they were going fight for justice. The audience that came to hear the speech had the same goal as Dr. King. They want to fight for the Negros. Dr. King’s Talk Card effectively reach the goal he wanted to express. At the very beginning of the speech Dr. King said “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.” His goal is to fight freedom for the Negro
“I look to the day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Are the words that Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, hoping for the end of racism, discrimination and segregation. He had a dream for everyone to have the right to be treated equally, as all man should be. Martin Luther King started a revolution; people that were being treated unequal were fed up. This dream was for all war against racism to have an end to it. So that everyone can get together and form in unity as one nation.
America is portrayed as a land with a bright future that needs the people suffering from the injustices to fight for what they deserve. It is up to those who are underprivileged to stand up and fight for their rights. Those who are living the American dream are not going to willingly give up their own freedom and rights to give it to other groups, who they see as undeserving. Contrary to their belief, all Americans are worthy of the American dream under the United States Constitution. It states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered at Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. In hopes of planting the seed of equality into every American’s heart and letting it flourish. King expresses his profound and powerfully emotional thoughts while also mentioning momentous decrees such as the Emancipation Proclamation and Declaration of Independence that were signed by our founding fathers in our nations early history. These documents were intended to unlock the invisible cage that once held African Americans hostage from being treated as equals. Centuries later the Negro community was still riddled by racial injustice and oppression.
Antithesis has also been used in his speech to reveal the goals he wishes to achieve. “…lonely island of poverty…vast ocean of material prosperity.” “…desolate valley of segregation…sunlit path of racial justice.” “…quicksands of racial injustice…solid rock of brotherhood.” The use of antithesis distinguishes between what King wishes to leave behind and what he is pursuing for the future of both the Negro’s and the White Americans. King uses allusion in his speech to show the audience his motivation for the goals he wishes to achieve. “…a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand…” is an allusion to the great American, Abraham Lincoln who signed the
In my opinion, he created a light in the mind of others because his speech was coming out from his heart. Dr. King used the language devices in his speech and created the best speech in American history. He used anaphora, reputation, allusions, and metaphors to engage people and convince them to claim their rights hardly. First, he used many anaphors in his speech “One hundred years later, Now is the time, We must, We can never (cannot) be satisfied, Go back to, Go back to, With this faith, and Let freedom ring (from)” which made the speech stuck in people’s minds. Second, he used the reputation in many forms such as “freedom, we, nation, justice, and dream”.
In his first statement he said, “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.” In this statement he has said what he was there to do. He is speaking out for freedom. This speech is one among few to demonstrate the freedom our nation was built upon. We are a nation of democracy and our nation was built on the fact that we have the right to “alter and institute new government” (Congress) . Dr. Martin Luther King’s speeches and demonstrations would provoke a change in the minds and hearts of the American people.
Martin Luther King’s dream for the future contains the nation to rise up as one and fight for the equality and acceptance of all individuals, no matter the label given to them by humanity. Martin’s dream for the future certainly outlines; but doesn’t just manifest in the idea of equality between black’s and white’s but to a further extent to which every single human is equal in every sense – age, gender, and race. It contains the Negro children of the world nurturing into a new humanity, which no longer “strips them of their selfhood and robs them of their dignity”. He dreams that one day, people will be acknowledged by the contentment of their personality rather than just there appearance, that everyone will be close enough to consider each other family “for little black boys and little black girls to be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers” 2. Evaluate the significance of King’s dream for all people including New Zealanders.
Martin Luther King continues by referencing the Declaration of Independence and Abraham Lincoln, stating that great historical figures had realised the need for human rights of all people to be respected, but that the “Negro still lives on the lonely island of poverty”. Martin Luther King states that he felt this historical act was, in a way, a promise to all of mankind that equality would be met but “America had defaulted on this promissory note”. Mr King continues through this part of the speech with the belief that “justice” needs to be met and that this will enable the black community the “riches of freedom”. Martin Luther King continues, asking for these promises to finally be upheld or expect consequences from the black community, stating that it would be “fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment...And there will be neither rest nor tranquillity in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights”. Mr King then makes a plea towards the black population, asking them “not to be guilty of wrongful deeds”, to be disciplined and have dignity while this process played out.