Skip to main content

What are the issues of substantiation in the Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech?

In his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. relies heavily on ethical (ethos) and emotional (pathos) appeals. That being the case, not many facts are clearly presented in the speech; rather, they are mainly only implied. Since these facts are only implied, not many facts presented in the speech can really be disputed. King does use hyperbole, meaning exaggeration, to speak of at least one implied fact.In his speech,...

In his "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. relies heavily on ethical (ethos) and emotional (pathos) appeals. That being the case, not many facts are clearly presented in the speech; rather, they are mainly only implied. Since these facts are only implied, not many facts presented in the speech can really be disputed. King does use hyperbole, meaning exaggeration, to speak of at least one implied fact.

In his speech, King makes an implied reference to Black Nationalism when he warns his audience, "The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people." In speaking of militancy, King is making an implied reference to Black Nationalism, an ideal represented by the Black Muslims, who were led by Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X. Black Nationalists were in favor of complete separation from whites — even a return to Africa — and supported the use of violence to achieve their goals.

What's rhetorically fascinating is that King hyperbolically refers to Black Nationalism by speaking of the "new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community." The word engulf means to "swallow up" or "submerge" completely (Random House Dictionary). Only 15% of the African-American population of the 1950s and 60s associated themselves with Black Nationalism, though; the majority of African Americans opposed separatism and supported the nonviolent means to achieve freedom promoted by King and the NAACP ("Black Nationalism and Black Power," Digital History, University of Houston).

Facts King makes implied references to that cannot be disputed concern the extent of segregation and the racist words of Alabama Governor George Wallace, who, in his 1963 inaugural address, called for "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...