Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an educated man and a very profound speaker and reverend (bio.com website). He was a strong activist for the Civil Rights Movement and spoke out a lot about equality and freedom for African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the March on Washington where he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Although Martin Luther King Jr. focuses on racism and equality in his “I Have a Dream” speech, he explores intertextuality through allusions and metaphors. Contrary to what many people think, Martin Luther King Jr. was not looking to over power white men. King just wanted equality. He wanted freedom from slavery and peace through out the world. He believed the world could come together as one happy place where

was not only a speaker, but also a reverend. He was an extremely strong Christian, and spoke openly about his faith. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, King was not only preaching to Christians, but also incorporated words of wisdom passed down through his religious beliefs. King faintly quotes the bible on numerous occasions mixing religion and politics throughout his speech. Martin Luther King Jr. strongly believed his faith and hope would guide him in the right direction. King said, “With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day” (I have a dream). King felt as if his faith in God and humanity would one day bring all God’s children together as a whole. He believed the country would be better and the words to the song “my country tis of thee” would have a new meaning. King trusted in God that one day everyone would be brothers and sisters. He gave thanks and praise to God and fully trusted in God’s goodness to make America great. He thought things would only change through the power and grace of God the Father. Martin Luther King Jr. was eager to see the day where all of God 's children regardless of skin color, “Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

He talks about how Negroes live in a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. He is saying that all white Americans are succeeding in the world all around the minority of Negroes who still do not have equal rights. He explains it in this way to show just how bad it really is. King says “now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the rock of brotherhood”. Martin Luther King Jr. compares the segregation of Negroes to a dark and desolate valley because of how hard they had it. The Negroes during this time were treated so poorly and felt as if they were in a dark place. King felt equality would compare to a sunlit path because everyone would be happy together; he hoped for peace. Living with racial tension and segregation caused the nation to be unstable like quicksand, but equality and brotherhood was solid like a rock. Martin Luther King Jr. used these examples to explain that fighting against equality would just make the nation sink farther into the quicksand, but striving toward brotherhood would cause a stronger nation. When King quoted Shakespeare in saying, “this sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality” he meant it figuratively and