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Schule > Englisch > Landeskunde > Analysis of Martin Luther King`s speech "I Have a Dream"

Theme: "The American Dream" - one concept many approaches

Sequence: Politics and Economy
Text: Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" (1963)

Assignments:

1. Summarize Martin Luther King` s main thoughts on the state of American dream as regards black people in the USA in 1963. (CONTENTS)

2. Analyse the most striking rhetorical devices King employs in his speech as well as the use of imagery. (ANALYSIS)

3. Choose one of the following items:
a) After reading this speech and having studied various texts about the American dream, write an e-mail to a presidential candidate in which you explain your view on this topic. (RE- CREATION OF TEXT)

b) What do you think: why has this speech become so extraordinary famous? (COMMENT/ EVALUATION)

1.CONTENTS

The speech "I Have a Dream" delivered by Martin Luther King on 28th August 1963 in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., can be divided into six paragraphs.
The first and shortest paragraph is the introduction in which he makes clear that he demonstrates for freedom (ll. 2-3).
In the second paragraph (ll. 4-13) he mentions the hope of black people that was already given years ago but has not been realized yet.
In the third paragraph (ll. 14-21), King refers to the Declaration of Independence and the fact that blacks are still discriminated and segregated at present time (1963).
In paragraph four, he informs about what has to be done and what has to be avoided to change something (ll. 23-29).
In the fifth paragraph, Martin Luther King explains that he really wants to change life for those who are not really accepted and ensures that people from everywhere should feel addressed by giving examples.
In the last paragraph (ll. 51-75), he emphasizes that hope and faith are very important to achieve the aim of equality for everybody and to be united!

2.ANALYSIS

In the first line of his speech Martin L. King makes already clear how important the aim he wants to achieve is for everybody by emphasizing that this will be the "greatest demonstration for freedom in American history. Here, he makes use of a superlative.

In line 4, he mentions the "shadow of "a great American (Lincoln). This metaphor is supposed to show that this person is still in their heads since a shadow is something which stays if the sunlight does not go down or disappear.

He gave a "great beacon light of hope to the blacks (l. 5) which can also be attributed to the "shadow. But however, he was not able to change something because the "beacon light turned into "flames of withering injustice (l. 6). This imagery makes clear that Kink really knows how difficult his plan is, but he also gives reasons and explains how he wants to change the current situation.
The repetition "hundred years later makes clear that such a long period of time has not changed anything either; he gives several examples of disadvantages with regard to the "Negroes.

In contrast to each other, the imageries "lonely island of poverty (l. 10) and "vast ocean of material prosperity (l. 11) show and emphasize the vast distance between the lives of blacks and whites. Besides, a lonely island is surrounded by a vast ocean which shows that the majority consists of prosperous, that` s to say, white people who have influence on the disadvantage of blacks. This is also explained in l. 12 since "the Negro is "languished in the corners of American society, and since it is their "own land as well, they do not have the chance/ ability to enjoy their lives because of having to stick to a disadvantage.
It can be compared with a room in which is not enough space for the blacks.
In line 14, King talks about the "architects of our republic who "wrote... the Declaration of Independence which is supposed to call upon everybody.

But instead of doing so, people are treated according to their color of skin.
The "architects also refer to the "room I have already mentioned since it was supposed to be for everybody but has not been realized this way.
The personification "her which means "America emphasizes the personality King wants to achieve between the people and the nation everybody belongs to!
The repetition "go back (l. 34 ff.) gives hope to the people since King mentions that they can go wherever they come from without being afraid of the future. By repeating it several times, he talks to everybody, those from "Mississippi should feel addressed even like those from "Georgia or any other state and place in the United States. This emphasizes the unity again.

The personal language "my friends (l. 37) is supposed to make clear that the people can rely on King and his aims! He really wants to change the situation and life for everybody in a positive way.
The metaphor "it is a dream deeply rooted in the "American Dream (l. 38) explains how intensive the desire of achieving the aim really is. It is spread everywhere! The "American Dream is a dream of everybody so that they all can rely on King! The absolute desire is also emphasized in ll. 39-48 where the repetition of the statement "I Have a Dream again enumerates several plans to change. He wants to convey the impression that the measures he has planned will contribute to progress and equality. By addressing everybody, he has also got the aim to encourage the people and give them new hope for changing! King also mentions the "children (l. 46) with regard to the future generations. By mentioning the word "together (l. 54) several times he makes clear to the people that they are not alone and that they get/ receive support from himself.

He also employs a song to his speech which says "let freedom ring.... (ll. 60-69) to show that everybody has to support his aim and plan to attain it!
In the last lines he mentions different groups of people again, even "Jews, "Gentiles, "Protestants, "Catholics (l. 73) which emphasizes the equality of different cultural and religious groups as well as the equality between blacks and whites!!
He makes use of religious language which contains the aim for the future.

Finally I can say that M. L. King makes use of certain images to illustrate the ideas and the help the audience needs to visualize the changes which are necessary to reform society.!!

3.RE- CREATION (a)

Dear Mister...,
I am a seventeen- year- old student from Germany. Since I read several texts about the "American Dream and certain speeches of different politicians at school, I think that the time for a statement according to this topic has come!

I have just read the speech of Martin L. King delivered on 28th August 1963 and I really think that he was a man who had the absolute desire to achieve his aim, that is to say to unite the American people. He mentioned that (t)his dream is "deeply rooted in the American dream.. The "American Dream really consists of the desire to unite people and work together for a better future for everybody.

But to be honest, I think that too many people today have different opinions so that they do not find one "way for everybody. Even today material plenty is very important, the minority believes in physical comfort even though the rate of unemployed people and single mothers who raise their children alone is very high!

Don` t you think that there are any possibilities that give opportunities for everybody? I think Martin L. King had the correct sense of making everybody` s life at least bearable. He really wanted to unite people and called for equality, but how is it possible that such high rates I mentioned consist in current time?
Yours Sincerely, Andrea

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