english

• I Have a Dream


  Title of speech by M.L. King
• M.L. King


  Speaker of the "I Have a Dream" speech
• Essential Questions


  • How can people find freedom in the middle of oppression?
• Answer to Essential Question


  By standing up for their rights and demanding equality, justice and an end to oppression through peaceful means
• Genre elements: Speech


  • Directly addresses and connects with audiences
  • Uses rhetorical devices to achieve specific purposes
  • Contains a clear message, stated near the beginning
  • Ends memorably
• What King believed should happen
• M.L. King: '"the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination....."'
• Rhetorical devices used by King

  • Metaphor: "the flames of withering injustice"
  • Parallelism: "Let freedom ring......."
  • Repetition: "Again and again"
• King: '"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low."'
• Significance of the quote from the Bible

  It echoes King's vision of equality and justice, suggesting that the struggle for civil rights is a moral imperative deeply rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of justice
• King: '"America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient."'
• Significance of the metaphor of a "promissory note"

  It emphasized the disparity between the equality and justice promised in the Declaration of Independence and the reality of racial injustice faced by African Americans, communicating the urgent need for racial justice and equality
• What King asked his audience to do
• King: '"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline."'
• Importance of "I Have a Dream" speech

  • Articulated a powerful vision of racial equality and justice, used rhetorical power to make it memorable, served as a unifying force for the civil rights movement, and was delivered at a critical moment in American history
• King: '"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the emancipation proclamation"'
• Significance of the reference to the Gettysburg Address


  King acknowledges the historical significance of Lincoln's speech and connects the struggle for civil rights with the quest for freedom and justice in American history
• King: '"There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the nigger is granted his citizenship rights"'
• Significance of the statement

  It encapsulates King's firm belief in the necessity of achieving full civil rights and equality for African Americans, underscoring the urgent need for transformation and the realization of equal rights under the law
• King: '"I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream."'
• Significance of the statement

  It symbolizes King's enduring hope for a future where all individuals are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character, echoing the core values of the American dream. It is a call to action for all Americans to strive towards the fulfillment of the nation's work towards building an equitable society for future generations
• Tone


  • Used to critique and mock the absurdity of a repressive government's censorship system
• Juan and people's lives

  Characterized by strict censorship, surveillance, and fear. Limited freedom of expression, constantly under scrutiny by the government. Oppressive atmosphere, individuals had to be cautious about words and actions to avoid punishment or persecution.
• Story's message/theme


  Dangers and consequences of excessive censorship and the loss of personal freedom
• How setting influences theme

  Repressive government regime with strict censorship serves as a backdrop to highlight the absurdity and negative impact of censorship. Emphasizes the importance of freedom of expression and the potential consequences when it is suppressed.
• Juan's decision to censor his own letter foreshadows his increasing involvement in the censorship process and his willingness to sacrifice personal relationships for the sake of the regime
• Juan's encounter with Mariana foreshadows the conflict between his personal desires and his loyalty to the censorship system, as he is torn between his love for Mariana and his duty as a censor
• How Juan does his job


  • Carefully reads each letter, uses red ink to mark sections that need to be removed, ensures final version appears harmless, spends long hours examining letters, is cautious about not letting any suspicious or rebellious content slip through
• As the story progresses, Juan becomes increasingly paranoid in his censorship duties, to the point where he censors his own letter
• Types of irony used

  • Dramatic irony - reader knows Juan is censoring his own letter, while Juan remains oblivious
  • Situational irony - Juan's act of censoring his own letter leads to tragic consequences
  • Verbal irony - Juan claims to be an efficient censor but fails to recognize the subversive nature of his own letter
• Progression of Juan's advancement as a censor

  Moves from Section K to Section B, author uses increasing section letters and word choices like "day after day" and "little by little" to speed up or slow down the pace
• Change in Juan's goal


  Initially wants to get his letter to Mariana without it being censored, but by the end becomes consumed by his role as a censor and censors his own letter to protect Mariana and himself. Change driven by fear and desire for survival in a repressive regime.
• Juan censors his own letter without regret because he believes it will protect himself and Mariana from harm
• Well, you have got to beat them to the punch, do what everyone tries to do: 'Reflects the mentality of survival and self-preservation in the story, suggests individuals must comply with authorities to avoid harm'
• You don't form a habit by doing something once: 'Highlights that habits are not developed through occasional actions, implies Juan's self-censorship act establishes a habit'
• Little by little Joann was absorbed in his job: 'Reflects the use of situational irony, as Juan becomes absorbed in the censorship job despite initially wanting to avoid it'
• He knows that they examine, sniff, feel and read in between the lines of each and every letter: 'Reflects Juan's internal conflict between his desire to convey his true thoughts and the awareness of the consequences of uncensored content'
• Soon his work became so absorbing that his novel mission blurred in his mind: 'Reflects the use of dramatic irony, as Juan's original mission to bypass censorship becomes overshadowed by his intense involvement in censoring'
• He had a truly patriotic task both self-denying and uplifting: 'Reflects the use of verbal irony, as the statement about Juan's task being patriotic and uplifting contrasts with the oppressive nature of censorship'
• Majesty


  Causes admiration and respect for its beauty