Martin Luther King I Have A Dream Rhetorical Analysis

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Between 1950s and 1960s, racism was a dominant issue in America, which the most

prominent was the racism of African Americans. Although Emancipation Proclamation was

signed, most African American were still being segregated and they were victimized

mercilessly. Thus, there were many activists and groups gradually appearing and they aimed

to alter the status quo at that time. Martin Luther King was the most notable activist among

them. During the 1960s, he had dedicated himself into various civil rights boycotts and

protests in order to further the movement and gain the final victory. King’s memorable

speech “I Have a Dream” had an enormous influence as it managed to demonstrate the racial

problems during the “March …show more content…

In my research paper, I will

focus on those questions: What is the paradox in Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream”

speech? How is this paradox reflected in King’s non-violent rhetoric? Compared to another

eminent leader Malcolm X, why was King’s rhetorical strategy more likely to be adapted by

more people during the Civil Rights Era and even into the present? Did King’s religious

background affect his rhetorical strategy? Based on those questions, I will discuss how

violent images and non-violent rhetoric coexist in Martin Luther King’s famous speech “I

Have a Dream” in my …show more content…

There is an impressive part in the middle of King’s speech. He writes that some White Americans ask activists when African Americans will be satisfied and he refutes that African Americans will never feel satisfied unless White Americans can compromise to them the racism will be eliminated. Firstly, King himself is answering: African Americans will not feel satisfied until everyone shares same rights in America. Then he stirs up African Americans’ feelings with the question when he contains all instances of racial injustice while he answers himself. This supports the idea that pathos plays an essential and significant role in arousing African American audience’s rage. The rhetorical question is useful to King because it not only answers questions posed by White Americans, but also stir up African Americans’ feelings about

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