The Speech “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Essay

I have selected the speech I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, as it had a significant impact on the historical state and raised the concerns about the equality in the United States of America (Araujo 6; King par. 1). It could be said that the primary goal of the paper is to examine the effectiveness of the speech while evaluating the impact on the audience, occasion, speaker, and the lines of the speech. In the end, the conclusions are drawn to underline the primary findings of the assessment.

It remains apparent that Martin Luther King was a well-known political leader, who addressed the issues related to freedom and the necessity to unify the American nation to overcome the difficulties (Kirk 1). Despite the prohibition of slavery and the declaration of the Emancipation Proclamation, the disparity was still regarded as a problem, as the minorities were discriminated and a huge gap remained between the social classes. King highlights these issues by using the phrase “one hundred years later” (King par. 3).

It was critical to shed the light on the problem in the existing situation, and the speaker selected the best time and audience to ensure the delivery of his message to the masses.

In this case, the leader opts for the march for jobs and freedoms to deliver the speech, as the occasion supported the perception of the necessity of equality and freedoms in different social spheres (Flowers 363; Dyson 314). The audience was represented by the regular workers, who were the representatives of different ethnicities (Kuypers 109). It could be said that the listeners were encouraged to take part in the occasion, as the citizens had an opportunity to protect their rights and improve the working conditions by expressing their opinions about this matter. In this instance, a combination of these factors emphasizes that the leader selected suitable time for the presentation, as the audience shared the similar interests and desired to change the current condition in the country.

Despite the appropriateness of the event chosen for the speech delivery, the verbal language, linguistic structures, and the personal characteristics of the leader defined its effectiveness. King often used ‘we’ and ‘Negro’ to underline the connection with the audience and the existent distinction between the social classes (King par. 1).

Nonetheless, the line that stands out to me the most is “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”, as it summarizes the primary points of discussion and provokes the audience to change the world (King par. 30). It could be said that this phrase also received a high response in the public, as it used the correlation with God and highlighted the possibility to make the world a better place. The workers were screaming in happiness, as this speech gave them hope to pursue their dreams.

In the end, it could be said that the effectiveness of the speech by Martin Luther King cannot be underestimated, as it received great support in the audience while highlighting that the problem has to be resolved. A combination of different techniques and charisma of the leader helped deliver his emotions and ideas to the public. Meanwhile, it has to be mentioned that the speech contributed to the rise of the importance of the equality in the American society while being a principle driver for the establishment of the democratic state and changing the mindset of the Americans (Long 127).

Works Cited

Araujo, Ana. Shadows of the Slave Past: Memory, Heritage, and Slavery. New York: Routledge, 2014. Print.

Dyson, Michael. I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King Jr. New York: The Free Press, 2000. Print.

Flowers, Arhlene. Global Writing for Public Relations: Connecting in English with Stakeholders and Publics Worldwide. New York, Routledge, 2016. Print.

King, Martin. I Have a Dream. 2015. Web.

Kuypers, Jim. Press and Bias in Politics: How the Media Frame Controversial Issues. Westport: Praeger Publishers, 2002. Print.

Long, Michael. Against Us, but for Us: Martin Luther King Jr. and the State. Macon: Mercer University Press, 2002, Print.