“I have a dream” by Martin Luther King is a persuasive and an encouraging speech for every American who should understand the true meaning of freedom. Martin Luther King in his speech, “I have a dream” highlights on the rights of the African American blacks and wants to truly inspire every American to liberate them. He doesn’t want inequality and injustice. What he looks forward for is a nation that would treat everyone equally. Martin Luther King earns for a complete liberty in every state of United States of America.
Freedom granted should eliminate any kind of discrimination based on skin color and should be given equal rights. It is Martin Luther King’s dream to have a nation when everyone would be treated equally. Martin Luther King wants to promote the real feeling of nationalism within every American, irrespective of color, race or gender. The purpose of Martin Luther King’s speech is to draw the fellow Americans, the fellow citizens of America towards light where no one is treated with injustice…
Martin Luther King is an effective persuader and hence, through his speech, he intends to draw his audience on his side by stating what he truly feels and wants in his nation. He traces his footstep back to the history and analyzes the events that were unfolded for the freedom of United States of America. Through the Emancipation Proclamation, he wants to say that they truly achieved a beam of light that granted hope for the African American people liberating them from slavery.
His words are truly remarkable as his style effectively makes the audience wonder and yearn the same feeling as Martin Luther King’s. Martin Luther King states, “One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land” (King, 1963).
Through the lines mentioned above, King intends to draw his audience’s concern towards the plight of the African Americans then and believes that the African Americans have still not been granted the freedom they so much deserve after participating equally in the struggle for liberty. African Americans were still neglected and were found to live like foreigners in their own land then. Therefore, the persuasive lines above highlight on the injustice being done to the African American blacks by the white Americans.
When Martin Luther King traces the history back, he states that they were given a “bad check” and thus, were deprived of the rights that are mentioned in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Each note in the documents stated that the citizens would be granted equal rights and would be treated justly. When Martin Luther King states, “It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro`s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality” (King, 1963).
Martin Luther King calls for an awareness to look into the issues of African Americans and his intention through this speech is to remove the deplorable plight of African Americans in any way as he can. Until the rights of African Americans are granted, there can be no peace and no freedom… the speech is intended for everyone and not just a particular audience. Martin Luther King intends to educate everyone and make everyone aware. In other words, King acts like a messenger in this speech where he reveals the true status of the African American blacks in the country.
King slowly moves from one issue to another highlighting the need for his speech for his fellow audience. He intends to deliver his message to everyone, irrespective of what color, creed, race or position he or she holds. Martin Luther King’s essay is a universal message for all that recalls for equal rights on a humanitarian basis. By adopting a persuasive tone, Martin Luther King wants his audience to listen out to him and help him achieve his goals and this he intends to establish through his words, through what he speaks… When Martin Luther King states,
“I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor`s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers” (King 1963) Martin Luther King intends to emotionally draw his audience into his world. The imagery used by King to manipulate his audience serves its purpose and in the end, he proclaims the words of liberty and freedom. “Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! ” (King 1963) makes every American feel what King wants his audience to feel and finally, closes with a note that resonates with liberty and freedom in a real sense for his people- and for this, he thanks God Almighty and truly believes that such a status will surely be achieved one day…
REFERENCE: Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D. C. on August 28, 1963. Source: Martin Luther King, Jr: The Peaceful Warrior, Pocket Books, NY 1968. Retrieved online on the 28th of July, 2007 at http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html