Dr King Rhetorical Analysis
Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader in the Civil Rights movement, the son and grandson of a minister, and one heck of a letter writer. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. In his tear-jerking, mind-opening letter, King manages to completely discredit every claim made by the clergymen while keeping a polite and formal tone. Metaphors, allusions, and rhetorical questions are used in the most skillful way to support his argument and ultimately convince his audience of the credibility behind his emotional, yet factual, claims.
On April 3, 1968 King delivered his final speech “I’ve been to the mountaintop,” in Memphis Tennessee to a massive crowd at the Bishop Charles Mason Temple Church of God. His speech was to bring awareness to the unsafe working condition and wages that the African American sanitation workers received. Prior to Reverend King’s speech on Feb. 12, 1968 roughly one thousand black Memphis sanitation workers went on strike and refused to work until their demands were met. Unfortunately, their request was denied and King, as well as Reverend James T. Lawson, traveled to Memphis to lead a nonviolent march but some of the participants started to become violent breaking windows of building and looting. This was a setback for the peaceful boycott due to rowdy few one person was shot and killed.
Martin Luther King Jr., a minister and social activist, led the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. He was an advocate for equality between all races and a civil and economic rights Activist. Because of his leadership, bravery and sacrifice to make the world a better place, Martin Luther King was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. His incredible public speaking skills and ability to properly get his message across can clearly be scene throughout the speech. Tone: Dr. King delivered his speech at the university of Oslo in Oslo Norway in front of a large group of people.
King uses metaphors; he uses metaphors in hopes to open the African Americans' eyes to the dreadful conditions they lived in. He uses two metaphors, “one hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity” and “one hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land” to emphasize the importance of the terrible living conditions they have been living in. Those metaphors highlight how African Americans lived in poverty while everyone around them lives in riches and much better conditions. He uses the phrase, “lonely island” because nobody else was being treated like that and “a vast ocean” because it is a massive problem and the rest of the citizens are living with many riches. Announcing that the African Americans find themselves exiled from their own land, allows Dr. King to explain the problem of the American land was promised to everybody, but the African Americans have been thrown out and not allowed in the land allowed for
Whites-Blacks relations The relationship between the two races is practically the basis of the civil rights movement. From their rhetoric, it is clear that Martin Luther King and Malcom X held quite different views on the current and future relationship of Blacks and Whites in the United States. Martin Luther King knew that Blacks are the minority in the US and that they “cannot walk alone”. They need allies in the white majority to be able to achieve any changes.
Martin Luther King Jr. Wrote and recited a speech fighting against segregation, which is a form of oppression. Martin Luther King extensively uses metaphors and figurative language in his speech. He fights oppression in his speeches, specifically in America, protesting and opposing racism. His use of metaphors such as “We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.” This analogy is used to compare the march on Washington, to a cashed check for rights promised to all men in the constitution.
Dr. King states, “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” ” With this metaphor he is saying the people have come to Washington to cash a check and in return the government has given them a bad
Occasionally, the use of large words or unfamiliar situations can be overwhelming; analogies help bridge the gap between the speaker and audience. Martin Luther King Jr. uses an analogy to draw a picture to the public to further understand the hardships African-Americans have been through, “America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds”(554). He uses money and a check because everyone knows the value of money and fear of having a check which remains faulty. Money runs our society consequently King Jr. is trying to explain that the African-Americans equal rights and justice is just as important to them as money is to anyone. This comparison allows everyone to fully know the troubles black people have suffered and how they feel.
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave us one of one of the most rhetorically moving speeches ever given. Titled as the “I Have a Dream Speech,” he read this speech to the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. As a civil right mover he gave this great speech to all Americans (black and white) so that he could give off the idea of equality on the same level. Because of his crowd of mix races King made sure to make his speech imploring to all no matter what the race that they may be. He uses metaphorical imagery, powerful diction,and symbolism to create an impact on the audience.
King also uses metaphors to compare the stability of the two sides, being racial injustice and brotherhood, to help the audience and the opposing sides to see his point and see why he is correct. As he states in paragraph four, the quick sand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” Dr. King uses things that everyone knows about, quick sand and rocks, to demonstrate how injustice is a trap and very unstable whereas brotherhood is solid, stable, and safe. Similar to using quick sand and rock, he utilizes darkness and light to also compare discrimination and segregation. In paragraph four Dr. King says, “rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.”
On April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy gave his remarks on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Robert’s goal was to inform people on Martin Luther King’s journey and to strengthen people’s attitudes on the whole situation. Robert’s main points throughout the speech were how the country as a whole should move forward, why the states should not resort to violence but unity instead, and he also addressed that the country needed unity, love, and compassion.
He places the strong authority of the declaration on his side to show how the American people are in contradiction to their own “sacred obligation” and the Negros have gotten a “bad check.” A metaphor representing the unfulfilled promise of human rights for the African Americans. King skillfully evokes an emotional response from all races with the use of religion: “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” By doing this he finds a common ground that brings black and whites closer with a common belief in God they share, as well as the mention of
Analogies compare two things to make an argument. King uses this rhetorical device many times in his speech to let people understand further how oppressed the black community was at the time and in some ways still are. Some quotes that King uses to voice this are, “Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.” and “So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon the demand of freedom and the security of justice”.
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of his time and played a crucial role in the African-American Civil Rights movement. Luther was a charismatic leader who took a firm stand against the oppressive and racist regime of the United States (US), devoting much of his life towards uniting the segregated African-American community of the US. His efforts to consolidate and harmonise the US into one country for all is reflected in many of his writings and speeches spanning his career. As a leader of his people, King took the stand to take radical measures to overcome the false promises of the sovereign government that had been addressing the issues of racial segregation through unimplemented transparent laws that did nothing to change the grim realities of the society. Hence, King’s works always had the recurring theme of the unity and strength of combined willpower.
His “check” metaphor is an accurate representation of the false promises made to the American people. The check in his metaphor is the promise of inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness made by the Constitution. The American people turned in this “check” and had it returned marked “insufficient funds.” This represents the equality denied to black individuals by the US. This metaphor was empowered to even greater heights by Dr. King making it relatable to his audience.
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