I
Have a Dream
-Martin
Luther King, Jr.
About the text
I Have a Dream is
one of the best, powerful, and unforgettable speech delivered by Martin Luther
King Jr., who is one of the most influential personalities of the 20th Century and the leader of the Black Civil Rights Movement. This speech was delivered in the
centenary (100 years) celebration of the Emancipation
Proclamation on August 28, 1963 at Lincoln
Memorial in Washington D.C. in front of 200 thousand people,
both Black and Whites. Apparently, the crowd was gathered to celebrate the
hundred years of emancipation of the Blacks. However, in reality they had
gathered to unite and revive the rights
of the Blacks stated by the American Constitution.
Setting: Lincoln
Memorial in Washington D.C.
Character: Martin Luther King Jr. and 200 thousand people, both Black
and Whites
Theme: eradication of discrimination and segregation
Historical
and Cultural Background:
From about the year 1600 white people in North
America brought Negroes from Africa
as slaves. They had to cultivate
land for their master but didn’t
have essential human rights. They could not leave the farm of their master and must work there whole life without being paid or making
any complain. They could be sold to
other master if their old master didn’t need them. If they ever attempted
to run away they were shot dead because
the whites had rights to guard them
as their animal. In 1787 the constitution of USA stated that all men are created equal, and that all men have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But these rules only remained restricted in papers. They were never applied for
the Negro slaves. They were not allowed to live like whites. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Declaration.
This said that all the slaves were free.
They could leave the plantation firms and the houses of the whites. But if
they wished to live with their masters, they must be paid.
However, Negroes were still not treated equally. In many states of southern USA black children were not allowed to go to the same schools with white children.
The blacks were not allowed to go into the hotels, public parks and public transports. This segregation provoked Martin Luther to fight against
it to uphold the dignity of blacks
in America.
Symbol and analogy:
America has defaulted on this promissory
note in so far as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this
sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come
back marked “insufficient funds.”
But he refused to believe that the bank of
justice was bankrupt. He refused
to believe that there were insufficient
funds in the great vaults of
opportunity of the nation. And so they had gone to cash the check, a check
that would give them upon demand the riches
of freedom and the security of justice.
Complain/Problem/Position
of Negro:
Situation:
not good and not bearable discriminated
and separated
poor and miserable not
given the rights promised by constitution
treated as slaves exploited
by whites
dominated by whites no
liberty and equality
living dark and dirty cornor of the
city deprived from
facility and live like exiled
Musical Analogy/Repeating: “We will be able to transform the jangling discords of our
nation in to a beautiful
symphony of brotherhood”. His repetition of lines “I have a
dream……go back to……Let freedom ring…..now…..with this paith….etc express the
intensity of his feelings and faith on the civil rights movement of
Blacks.
Dream:
End
of segregation
Equal
opportunity to all
Freedom
from slavery
Sense
of brotherhood
Enjoy
the rights and justice promised by the constitution
Getting
opportunity in every field by all the citizens
No
discrimination between black and white
Have
the same Chance to get education, jobs
Hope/Wish: he wished for
the end of apartheid. He desired for the oasis of freedom in place of bondage.
Moreover he wished for the prosperity of
both black and white for the prosperity of nation depends on it
Warning to the
government:
His advice to his followers is to follow
on the path of peace. At the same time, he warns the government that there
would not be peace if laws are not practiced accordingly.
Their moment would shake the foundation
of the nation
Suggestions to
his followers:
To rise from the path of
segregation to the path of racial justice
Continue the revolution unless and until
the demands are fulfilled
Struggle in a disciplined way
To use their strength in creative works
Summary
The essay is actually a glorious speech given by a great American
civil right leader, Martin Luther to an unprecedented throng of 200,000
Americans. The unforgettable speech came exactly 100 years after the blacks
were declared free. King says that the Constitution of The USA had promised
that all men would be free and equal, but the blacks are still not free. They
do not have equal rights with the whites. He says the Negroes are asking for
freedom and they want social equality and all human rights. They must be
provided these things if America really wants to be a glorious nation.
According to him the time has arrived for the nation to turn things written
into the constitution into reality. Citing various examples of unequal
behaviours done by the whites, he says that it is time for all of them to wake
up from the deep sleep against the brutal injustice and torture. He says
the police must stop beating blacks, whites must allow them to stay at hotel,
and the government must provide them voting rights. Meanwhile, he also
emphasizes and convinces the audience that the movement must be peaceful and
without any violence. He also praises some whites for their support and says
that it is important not to distrust all the whites. In quite touching and
appealing language he explains that he has a dream that one day all the blacks
and whites would live together in complete brotherhood. He opines that America
could only become a great nation if all its citizens enjoy equal opportunity
and privilege. The speech has become unforgettable for its precise word selections
and mild appeals for the entire mankind.
