Worthy Words In The Works Of Martin Luther King Jr.

Worthy Words Impact Throughout the world, language remains the one entity every different culture possesses, guiding cultural practices, traditions, and social activities. Language is the way every individual expresses their feelings and shares their perspectives. Communication allows everyone to survive. It carries much power in today’s society. Words remain a powerful platform for people and influence others in a positive or negative manner. The spoken word can influence and impede life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every word possesses a specific denotation, connotation, and has varies in meanings in particular situations. Individuals use the varied meanings to influence surrounding people. Speakers utilize language to evoke emotion

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. The metaphor is easily relatable and forces everyone to form opinion weather they think King Jr. is right or wrong. Analogies allow the audience to further understand the material and relate on a personal level forcing them to have emotions linking to experiences or fears. Additionally, Elizabeth Cady Stanton uses an analogy in her women’s right speech to demonstrate how poorly women are treated and frowned upon, even though they are still human beings and must perform the same if not more actions as men in society. “It is the wise mother that has the wise son. So long as your women are slaves you may throw your colleges and churches to the winds” (Stanton, 11). Stanton is comparing women to slaves to explain to the audience how horribly they are treated and how insecure they are forced to feel. Everyone knows the tremendous amount of pain and suffering slaves endured and would never yearn for one to suffer through such terrible experiences. Furthermore Stanton is pulling on the listeners heart string’s by telling them that herself and all other women feel like a