MLK Answers

1. Alliteration- Repetition of consonant sounds in a series of words; Allusion- An indirect reference; Metaphor- Comparison that doesn’t use like or as; Simile- Comparison using like or as.
2. The beginning of his speech is an indirect reference to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. This was really good because Lincoln was the president who freed the slaves, and his speech was about freedom from segregation. He referred back to Lincoln to refresh their memories. Lincoln was the reason they were there, not as literal slaves, but as slaves of oppression. MLK planned to finish what Lincoln started.
3. Bible: “Justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream,” (MLK 4). Declaration of Independence: “Now is the time to make real promises of democracy,” (MLK 3).
4. “…Color of their skin but by the content of their character,” (MLK 4)
5. “…Chains of discrimination,” (MLK 2)
6. “Justice rolls down like waters,” ((MLK 4)
7. This is a metaphor and it is a powerful tool because it reminds them of their suffering ancestors. He is also reminding them of their freedom, yet they are still enslaved. The same chains that kept them from their freedom in the cotton fields are holding them from freedom in society. He was making the inference that blacks are still enslaved, just not with literal chains. This should not be true after one hundred years of freedom and in a country that is supposed to be free for all. This must be fixed and that is what he planned to do.
8. a. “Now is the time” (MLK3) b. “We cannot be satisfied” (MLK 4)
9. One of the effects of his repetition is to stress his point. This method combined with his powerful voice was able to drill this idea into the minds and hearts of everyone listening to him. This is the “faith” he had and he wanted to make sure everyone both knew it and took it home with them (MLK 5). He also wanted to let everyone know how powerful their faith and to be in order to endure the suffering that is going on. They needed encouragement to get through the tribulations they had. Dr. King knew this would be tough and if he was going to lead these people, then he needed to get through to them and lift them up. Judging by the resounding applause that he received (a lot louder after the speech) he did just that.’
10. His most powerful method, I believe, was when he spoke of not solving this issue with violence. It takes a lot of strength for a man, a culture, to walk around their home, the one place you deserve to have peace in “exile” (MLK 1). Yet this man still resorts to nonviolence; he says he will not have their “creative protest degenerate into physical violence” (MLK 3). He uses the word degenerate inferring that it will lower the status of their already powerful battle and claims to keep their victories on high by using “Dignity and discipline,” fighting “physical force with soul force” (MLK 3). He is also teaching them (and us) not to give in to the typical idea of a violent black man. If we resort to nonviolence we can always defeat the “evil with the good” (Rom 12:21).
11. 100 years ago we were set free from slavery by the great man Abraham Lincoln. Well I am here to tell you that we are far from free. Our physical chains may be gone, but we still are figuratively shackled by the segregation of our own country. Our nation told us in the documents that all laws are based off of that all men are created equal. This, in fact, is an abandoned idea which the country believes does not apply to the black race. We will make sure that this phrase written by our forefathers will be followed to the fullest and if the nation believes we will quiet this then they are wrong. We will fight to the bitter end, not with violence, but with strength, determination and dignity. So have hope for one day every city, every county, and every state will become as one just as the people of the nation will become as one and then we all can sing our country’s national anthem with pride and the satisfaction of truth. One day we will all stand together as a people and be thankful to be fully free.
12. The world’s biggest crime was the ignorance of thinking that black people were not a human race, like whites are. Discrimination and segregation were the effects of this stupid belief. The world separated blacks as lower beings and this is not right, nor can be true. Skin color does not make a person any more or less than another person. If either one gets shot they can die the same, if either one gets an education they can teach the same, if either one had the skill they could do the same. We are all a people and splitting us up can only cause one thing as it did: revolution.
13. I believe the American Dream is the idea that anyone can have the opportunity and chance to succeed and do well for themselves. They can also live in a peaceful world that is not like any other on earth and is better than any other. In a nutshell, it’s the only place you can have your cake and eat it too.
14. Dr. King names the states that have the heaviest segregation and are the most dangerous for blacks. Knowing this it almost seems impossible to see such a time when these states walk with blacks instead of hanging them. This adds to the effect of what he is saying and adds a lot more hope to his speech. If the most segregated areas in the whole country become unified peacefully and equally, then there is not a single place that segregation can hide.
15. I would have been extremely moved. Just watching it on TV made your spine tingle. Also knowing the time that they were in and all the suffering that they had gone through, this would have been a big encouragement if I were there. The speech touched the hearts of every American there and woke up many people to the problems and solutions to these problems in that time. This would make a lot of people ready to go out there and suffer and work hard so that they could look forward to equal rights and no more discrimination.
16. Racism is the prejudice of one race towards another. It also creates the effect of looking down towards these people and hatred between them. This can create great wars, violent or nonviolent.
17. These people resorted to violence because they did not believe blacks were not supposed to be free. This was mostly hatred and rage toward black people that fueled their violence. They wanted to prove that blacks were lower beings as well as everything else that they thought black were: violent, ignorant, etc. Blacks did not resort to violence, I believe, because MLK was powerful enough to convince black people to resort to nonviolence. He was a great leader because he influenced the black race to follow his plan. They also were not going to give up when they came so far or give in to the oppression. They were determined to continue.
18. I don’t believe that they are as dangerous as the Nazis. They are still dangerous because of their beliefs and oppression, but they are old-fashioned. We are in a new age where there are too many people ready to move on to a better life for them to make such a drastic change. If more people are going to keep the new idea instead of giving up to oppression, then they are going to be shut down before they even start.
19. There is no more segregation at this time. The whole idea about separated water fountains, separate schools and bathrooms no longer exist. Blacks and whites can now walk down the same street, into the same buildings, and use the same bathrooms without it being illegal. A black man has even become president of the United States! We have come very far and Dr. King would be very proud to see this. His dream with these things is truly fulfilled.
There is still some work to be done though. This is the most difficult part of his dream. This is the part in convincing people that blacks are humans and are just as good as whites at doing anything. We are all equal and some people are just prejudiced in this idea. Black are not equal in their eyes. We still have to prove to them that we are just as good, if not better than they are. This may not be possible, since these people are too stubborn to realize what we have already done. Hopefully convincing them can be accomplished.