Rhetorical Structure: Figures of Speech
King's opening phrase is an allusion to Abraham Lincoln. It was appropriate because the speech was given at the Lincoln memorial and Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed millions of slaves and made it possible for King to even give his speech.
Declaration of Independence: I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal". Bible: I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.
"Justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
The figure of speech displayed here is metaphoric. It's an effective method because it makes the listener to imagine someone being held back and weighted down with heavy chains. That though blacks were free they were still being held back because of discrimination and segregation.
The phrase ”Let freedom ring" and the phrase "One hundred years later".
These words can make the audience feel his passion and visualize his dream one day actually becoming a reality.
The second sentence in the second paragraph, which states "One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chain of discrimination. It opened up my eyes to the fact that slavery ended only a little over one hundred years ago. It also opened my eyes up to the fact that it was not long ago that King was walking this earth and fighting for my civil rights and for me to enjoy the freedoms that I take for granted on a daily basis. Furthermore its opened my eyes to the fact that though this country have come a considerable distance over racial inequality that there is still much progress to be made.
Understanding the Dream
King's dream was that one day that not only black people but that everyone of every nationality, religion, class, gender, age, anything that makes us different from one another, can one day live in a land of diversity and tolerance.
Acts of discrimination and segregation, poverty, banning from public places, separate facilities "For White People Only" and "For Black People Only", police brutality, denial of right to vote, and unreasonable jailing.
That all men are guaranteed life, the right to live as one wants to live, liberty, the right to be free and citizenship, and the pursuit of happiness, all the rights and liberties of a free citizen.
I think he names them because those are the states in which racial prejudice has been heavily rooted and has been since the birth of the country as a free nation, and is still heavily rooted today.
I do think I would've been moved because I would have been one of the abundant masses that have experienced some racial discrimination and segregation during their lifetime.
Relating to the Dream
1. The looking down upon another race as inferior or unworthy based on the color of their skin.
2. I think they resorted to violence as a scare tactic and another way to oppress the black community, I also think that they knew that it wouldn't be long before blacks finally fought for and won their rights. I think they didn't take revenge because violence only brings on more violence and that responding with violence would've only made matters worse for the black community.
3. I think that those who aren’t racist are more dangerous. Living in our day and age there are more and more people that racially tolerant, sure there are those that are racist, but those who aren't will not stand by and watch the years of progress this country has made concerning that area go to waste, if they have to take it to the proper authorities or take matters into their own hands.
4. Most of Kings dream has come true. Blacks are able to vote, can't be banned from public places, all facilities must be united and equal, there is also no more segregation and discrimination. But there are still some instances of police brutality, not only against blacks, but everyone, just police officers abusing their power and there are many that live poverty stricken lives and live in the ghetto instead of suburban areas.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Salvation
Meaning
His main point in telling the narrative is to explain how based off of him telling one lie and deceiving many, his world was turned upside down he began to doubt the existence of Jesus.
A child named Westley, whom was sitting next to him during the service, decided to quit wasting and pretend that he had found God and pretended to be saved. After noticing he was the only one left and seeing how everyone reacted just to get him to get up and become saved, Hughes decided to also stop wasting time and deceive everyone, a choice that only causes him turmoil in the end.
I think that Hughes is saying that no one is truly saved from or that the only path to salvation, in his mind, is to confess one's faults, which is what he did.
Purpose and Audience
1. I think Hughes wrote "Salvation" as sort of confession, to get the actions he had partaken in off his chest, the way he felt about the existence of Jesus, which is sort of criticizing his aunt and the other adults for, in this case, "lying" to him. Sort of his journey to salvation.
2. He assumes his readers to be familiar with the setting of a southern, all-black church with the long hours of singing, praying, shouting (dancing or clapping to a set rhythm of drums, bass guitar, and organ), and capping it off with a pastor preaching with high emotion and ending the service with someone getting saved (most times services wouldn't end until at least one or two people did).
3. It makes the reader sit right where he was on the mourner's bench, feel the people around you and smother you with begs and pleas the go get saved, and the anxiety and pressure he is under as he remains in his seat, and his faith slipping as he doesn't "see" Jesus.
Method and Structure
I think he chose a narrative to show others through his story that no one is truly saved from sin, but if he chose to have done an argumentative essay it would not be impossible, but it would be a one-sided argument. It would be "Still bound by the chains of Sin".
He basically does it through out the entire narration. This makes the reader aware of how long he waited for Jesus to show and how when Jesus didn't it forced Hughes to lie about what happened.
Paragraphs 5-7 and 13-15.
It's essential because it explains all that what he went and how long he waited for Jesus to show up.
Language
He felt shame and doubt and that's because he had to lie to get the whole torturing ordeal over with and Jesus never showed up.
The effect I believe he is trying to achieve is the influence of the younger generation. In his adult life, as well in his child life, that night in the church was a waste of time to him and what he had to do to get out of the situation troubled him. I believe he is trying to keep someone else from making the same mistake.
Hughes meaning of "seeing" Jesus is Jesus actually appearing to him in the flesh, while his aunts meaning of "seeing" Jesus is having a visitation from Jesus in your soul, where you can't see him but feel him. The significance is that because he didn't physically see Jesus, it made him doubt that Jesus ever existed.
His main point in telling the narrative is to explain how based off of him telling one lie and deceiving many, his world was turned upside down he began to doubt the existence of Jesus.
A child named Westley, whom was sitting next to him during the service, decided to quit wasting and pretend that he had found God and pretended to be saved. After noticing he was the only one left and seeing how everyone reacted just to get him to get up and become saved, Hughes decided to also stop wasting time and deceive everyone, a choice that only causes him turmoil in the end.
I think that Hughes is saying that no one is truly saved from or that the only path to salvation, in his mind, is to confess one's faults, which is what he did.
Purpose and Audience
1. I think Hughes wrote "Salvation" as sort of confession, to get the actions he had partaken in off his chest, the way he felt about the existence of Jesus, which is sort of criticizing his aunt and the other adults for, in this case, "lying" to him. Sort of his journey to salvation.
2. He assumes his readers to be familiar with the setting of a southern, all-black church with the long hours of singing, praying, shouting (dancing or clapping to a set rhythm of drums, bass guitar, and organ), and capping it off with a pastor preaching with high emotion and ending the service with someone getting saved (most times services wouldn't end until at least one or two people did).
3. It makes the reader sit right where he was on the mourner's bench, feel the people around you and smother you with begs and pleas the go get saved, and the anxiety and pressure he is under as he remains in his seat, and his faith slipping as he doesn't "see" Jesus.
Method and Structure
I think he chose a narrative to show others through his story that no one is truly saved from sin, but if he chose to have done an argumentative essay it would not be impossible, but it would be a one-sided argument. It would be "Still bound by the chains of Sin".
He basically does it through out the entire narration. This makes the reader aware of how long he waited for Jesus to show and how when Jesus didn't it forced Hughes to lie about what happened.
Paragraphs 5-7 and 13-15.
It's essential because it explains all that what he went and how long he waited for Jesus to show up.
Language
He felt shame and doubt and that's because he had to lie to get the whole torturing ordeal over with and Jesus never showed up.
The effect I believe he is trying to achieve is the influence of the younger generation. In his adult life, as well in his child life, that night in the church was a waste of time to him and what he had to do to get out of the situation troubled him. I believe he is trying to keep someone else from making the same mistake.
Hughes meaning of "seeing" Jesus is Jesus actually appearing to him in the flesh, while his aunts meaning of "seeing" Jesus is having a visitation from Jesus in your soul, where you can't see him but feel him. The significance is that because he didn't physically see Jesus, it made him doubt that Jesus ever existed.
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