I Have a Dream: A Critical Discourse Analysis - Assignment Example

I Have a Dream: A Critical Dis Analysis Critical Dis Analysis is one the most effective tools in identifying certain crucial elements of language in terms of rhetorical presentation. This is regarded to be one of the most crucial identifiers of the very intricate matters that surround the language use in relation to the social conditions present in a certain society. In certain cases of history, there are several situations wherein rhetoric has played a very decisive factor in determining the political, social, economic and cultural conditions that greatly affected the turnout of events that affected the society on a larger scheme. In the context of American society, the black people or the African American minorities of the American nation have faced several problematic conditions that are deeply related to the ideals of democracy asserted by the Americans. Martin Luther King, one of the progressive leaders and activist that advocates the Black Rights and acceptance to the American mainstream society, has delivered a speech entitled “I Have a Dream” that is worth analysing. Before proceeding in the with the Discourse Analysis, it is worth note taking that there are certain factors that inherently affected the very matter of addressing the social issues related and associated with the interplay of language and power during the time and social context of Martin Luther King in the American Society back then. There is also a synthetic analysis that will be applied with the meanings, rhetoric and social conditions that Martin Luther and other Black Americans or African Americans, to be politically correct, faces. The very speech of Martin Luther King, “I Have a Dream”, was delivered after a protest march that the Black Americans held at the Washington DC, the edifice of political power in the United States of America (Alfayez, 2009). The pressing social repression of Blacks due to racial hatred, deprivation of rights and other abuses have been the key factors that gave way for the occurrence of the said protest and delivery of a very assertive speech (Nordquist, 2011). In a very general sense, the speech of Martin Luther King emphasizes the dreams, hopes and aspirations of the Black people in America who have been constantly harassed by the injustices perpetrated by the White People, to whom which the political power of the American society rests and manoeuvred accordingly to their own interests. In terms of the emotional perspective, the speech is delivered in a very strong willed manner that can move people to understand the dilemma of the people being repressed back then and to be emphatic about the struggles that they have endured before the occurrence of the said event that can be considered as a political move in the facets of America as a nation and as a society. In the first paragraph of Martin Luther’s speech, it can be inferred that the happiness he felt is deeply rooted on involvement in the said non-violent protest. Mostly, the paragraph has served as an introduction to his speech that will develop further into a very dramatic yet powerful speech (Alfayez 2009). In the second and third paragraphs of his speech, he has mentioned the signage of the Emancipation Act which guarantees their freedom (King 1963). The first condition that can be drawn upon from the second and third paragraph is a direct attack and a very assertive criticism of a hypocritical situation that undermined the relevance and importance of the Act that guarantees the relevance and role of the Black people in the American Society which has not been put into practice several years after its passage even if it is considered to be a breakthrough (Alfayez, 2009). Discrimination has been a very crucial practice that disrupts the possibility of having a harmonious living and equality amongst human beings (Lecerle, 2006, p. 142). Equality has been an ideal concept that has been asserted by the people back then. It is so important to be assertive of this condition since people have been experiencing injustice which contradicts the very principle of equality. This is the very condition that is being emphasized by the second and third paragraphs. In the fourth paragraph of King’s speech, he has drawn an analogy between the manner of financial transactions with the manner of treatment done to them (King 1963). In this case, the financial commodity being highlighted that have displaced the Negros in the society are the premises of independence, equality and rights that have been costly for a Black American to gain and possess in the ideals of democracy present in America. Also, there is a very implication of a highly materialist culture when it comes to treatment (Lecerle, 2006, p. 42). Materialism, in this case, applies to the great disparity and gap between the colours of races when it comes to the resources that are amassed and monopolized by the White People then; disvaluing the rights of Negros to take part of such flourish as members of the American Society. Class, party, race and all other possible discriminative identifiers have been used to isolate the Negros and not giving them so much of reasonable benefits from the progression the society in a very general sense (Lecerle, 2006, p. 42). In the fifth paragraph of King’s speech, there is a very strong challenging condition that can be drawn upon since there is a very strong assertion about the needs of the Black people to be recognized in America (Alfayez, 2009). The presence of the word “withdraw” indicates the grounding of the aforementioned assertions (King 1963). In this paragraph, there is a very strong reason for the Blacks to challenge the notions of the American society dominated by Whites since there are premises in the constitution that allows them to be demanding of the rights that have been deprived to them. At the same time, justice and freedom does not come with a price. In the sixth paragraph, there is a very different tone that can be observed the presence of the word now and gradualism (King, 1963). These words signify the urgency asserted by the Blacks to be recognized since the problem that they are experiencing is no longer bearable. There is a condition on their part to demand justice to end injustice. At the same, the presence of the term “children of God” denotes that everyone is equal in terms of religion (King 1963). The religious beliefs, in this case, have played a very vital an crucial role to strengthen the assertion of equality that has been an idealized concept and not a living concept under the problematic conditions of society. Given the two conditions that have affected the delivery of the speech by King, it pushes not just the concept of equality to be manifested but being progressive by seeking an immediate manner of transforming society to coincide with the ideals of democracy that has become one of the most highly valued concepts of American belief, culture and society. Language, in this case, becomes a political tool that is very strong to emphasize the solutions needed to cure the problematic condition of the society that can introduce paradigm shifting in terms of social mobility (Lecerle 2006, p. 44). In the seventh paragraph of the speech, there is a very strong assertion of the need and address the urgency and the possible occurrence of further resistance on the part of the Negroes who have been subjected to constant repression and sanctions imposed by the American Society due to colour and race. In this paragraph as well, there is an emphasis of importance to adhering to the concepts of equality and recognition of rights as substantial conditions that highlights the importance of observing the social condition if it indeed fits to this ideal standards (Lecerle, 2006, p. 137). There is also an implication that chaos will definitely occur once these reasonable, just, and rightful demands of the people are not met. At the same time, the manner of protest marks the start of their journey of achieving the things important and relevant not just to them but to every living human individual since the recognition of their important human rights is an acceptance of diversity that is very present in every society. Resistance and challenge to the repressive status quo is definitely emphasized. In the eight paragraph of Martin’s speech, he is emphasizing the importance of withdrawing upon the use of brute force which will result to violence and choose the peaceful one. In this part, he is trying to emphasize that fighting fire with fire will not result into something reconcilable but will pave way to a problematic condition that will lead to further hostilities for their advocacy. The mentioning of the word physical and soul denotes something relatively different (King 1963). There is still a possible connection between the religion and language and politics. The interconnection of the three will result into a very moralistic political battle that tries to show a good playing ground wherein there manner of getting the need and rights demanded are not happening in a very unethical manner but in methods deemed humane and moral (Lecerle 2006, p. 208). Ethic is being emphasized as powerful tool to change the wrong standards that have lingered and distorted the relationships between the different external factors that affect human beings. In the ninth paragraph, there is an expression of inclusion and equality since freedom is bound to both the blacks and the whites of the American Nation (King 1963). In this part, there is a showcase of unity amidst diversity since there battle being fought upon by the Negro is not just a mere matter for them but a concern of almost every individual by the fact that all individuals, being humans, share the very same demands and needs inviolable for a human to possess. In this, he is also pointing out that there should be no exclusivity and hatred but understanding of each other to fully implement actions that will befit everyone in the American Society. In this case, language has provided a very different condition since language has been used to humiliate and trigger hate but it has been a tool to incorporate people and to seek further disintegration and social turmoil (Lecerle 2006, p. 59). All the problems that the blacks and the whites face are culturally shared in the society they belong to. In the tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth paragraphs of the speech, he emphasizes the need to continue and not look back to the past (Nordquist 2011). In this case, there is an implication pointing out that the problems that have existed before will continue and will not cease to exist unless there is a real change that will occur that will definitely change the manner of flow of things in the society. There is a need for real social mobility that is forwarding and not taking a backward path wherein no change will occur. In the fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth paragraphs of his speech, there is an emphasis of the importance of dream that the American Society lives up its ideals of democracy and liberty wherein civil rights are not placed in an awful condition. In its totality, the point of these clumps of paragraphs highlight the very importance of living up to guiding morals, norms and philosophies that are geared towards humane society that values every individual despite of colour and race. Equality is the most vibrant concept that emphasized as well since everyone shares the same principles grounded in an American Ideal. The eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth paragraphs of the speech focuses on the need to change the political treatment towards the blacks that have been too harsh and inhumane. This is the very matter that these set of paragraphs point out to. The twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty-third and twenty fourth paragraphs have been focusing on the dreams and aspirations that the black people wishes to achieve since these are the most common and vital things that they wanted to experience after all the harsh treatments that have received under the supposed ideal American democracy that has been manipulated by people who have worked on the wrong ideals that are not really adherent to the democratic concepts being asserted. The last set of paragraphs of Martin Luther has very different conditions being fulfilled. First is the belief that democracy will be achieved by faith as long as it will not fade from the people who have struggled under the repressive status quo that did not considered their living conditions as humans and members of the American community because of hatred associated with race and colour. The second one is the call to freedom across all border and states of America since their struggle is not just a struggle of a certain minority groups but the whole society of America who are after living up to the ideals of democracy. This condition is very important since rights cannot be isolated to certain groups. In this case, language and manner of delivery by King has strengthened the belief and understandings of the people about the real meaning, relevance and use of these concepts since these ones are vital for the flourish of American Society. Third condition is the incorporation of certain religious elements and terms that makes Luther like a prophet delivering the news of god that emphasizes equality amongst all specie. Language of religion in this case appealed to the general public since people have shared religious beliefs that can definitely influence and understand the point of view of King since religions emphasizes morality, goodness of the act and humane treatment of people experiencing harassment and be protected from it. In its totality, the speech of Martin Luther King is a moving one since it appeals to different sensibilities through the effective use of language that pertain to certain premises of society like politics, religion, economics and the like since these terms can be related to upon by the people. At the same time, the highly emotional condition of the speech is deeply related to the problems, hardships, and struggles of the black people back then. There is an intrinsic connection with their turmoil situation with their aspiration that they indeed seek freedom these social constraints that hindered them from getting justice, freedom and equality which are vital tools and elements of the American democratic ideals. Ultimately, the thing that is very clear in the speech of Martin Luther is the capacity of language to make a shift and attack the power relations existent in society since language has become one of the vital tools that allow such relation. The politics, economics and culture do not just happen because they have to but there are power relations attached to it and it has the capacity to modify, rectify, change and fix the social condition and the possible change may be good or bad depending on how the rhetorical nature of such language use is employed. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alfayez, Hassna (2009). Martin Luther King “I Have a Dream”: Critical Discourse Analysis. King Saud University. King, Martin Luther (1963). I Have A Dream. Lecerle, Jean-Jacques (2006). A Marxist Philosophy of Language. Historical Materialism. Vol. 12. Boston: Massachusetts. Nordquist, Richard (2011). I Have a Dream, by Martin Luther King. About.com. Read More