Baladithya Balamurugan
Professor Margaret Yobbi
18 F – HUM 101045-Writing Speaking Thinking I
04 December 2018
Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Over the course of a couple centuries since the founding of the United States, there
existed a great many leaders whose support and adoration from their followers rivals that of a
small religion. In the past half- century itself a man by the name of Martin Luther King Jr. called
for civil and economic rights to end racism in the US in 1963. Since the time of President
Abraham Lincoln, there have been no slaves but various laws and rules have been put in place to
put certain demographic groups (specifically African-Americans) at a disadvantage. Martin
Luther King Jr. was at the forefront of the movement that called to change exactly that. Because
of his actions even before the speech, he was admired for his solidarity and how emotional and
strong his beliefs behind civil rights, freedom, and dignity were. Martin Luther King Jr. was a
Baptist minister, and from 1957 to 1968 he logged almost 6 million miles of travel documenting
and speaking his beliefs. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream.”
Speech at the base of the Washington Monument. This speech has been ranked among the very
top of the speeches of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars of public address. The reason
for why this speech was ranked very high was because of Martin Luther King’s rhetoric present
in that speech. Martin Luther King Jr. (King) used a number of methods to get his point across
that those who are at a disadvantage and who are discriminated against should recognize their
passion and put it to work and never give up no matter how bad it gets because the country
should hold its word and make it so that “All Men Are Created Equal…”. His eloquent speech
and humble tone combined with his use of common knowledge references helped him convey his
beliefs regarding civil rights.
King spoke to thousands of people from many backgrounds. Many black as well as white
people had the good fortune to hear him speak and he referred to them all as "my friends”
conveying a sense of togetherness and inclusion. This one simple component of King's speech
made the speech relatable to everyone as it was motion that was meant to tell the audience that
King was “one of them” although they came from varying levels of education and economic
statuses, King's immediate listeners all shared a common dream: racial equality. This factor most
likely made the audience feel that they were equally as important as the great leader in the fight
for racial equality. When King himself started getting emotional when he started talking about
his dreams for the future of the country’s society, his point and emotions got across easier
because of the fact that everyone was included when King was addressing the audience.
One thing that most people would question would be why Martin Luther King Jr. has
such an influence over his audience during the spee...
