Comparative Essay - "The Ballot or The Bullet" & "I Have a Dream"

Malcolm X’s public speech “Ballot or the bullet” and Martin Luther King’s speech “I have a dream”, both share similarities in their speeches’ audience and purpose, while some contrasting elements both show the two civil rights advocate’s ideology of fighting for equality. King and X’s speech both target the oppressed black communities of America prior to the civil rights movement, in an effort to provoke a call to action from the reader. King uses the phrase “It’s time today for us to start doing some standing, and some fighting to back that up.” and “And so we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice”. Personal pronouns such as “we” and “us” are undoubtedly directed to the black communities. As the context of these speeches are revolved around empowering black Americans to fight for equality, also it can be said that King and X are both African American, hence personal pronouns would be referencing their communities. Additionally, both speeches have a similar purpose, to persuade the black communities to fight for what they deserve, using their love for their community. Though towards the end of King’s speech, he starts to direct it towards both black and white communities. King targets these communities in his iconic phrase “Little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers”. By him targeting the white community as well as the black community it shows his ideology for equality. King strived for a route to equality peacefully and strayed away from any forms of violence. On the contrary Malcolm X had only targeted black Americans in his speech and had no intent of keeping the fight for equality peaceful. As seen in this phrase “The black community throughout America today more explosive than all of the atomic bombs the Russians can ever invent.” Malcolm X during this time in his life, was targeting only black Americans in almost a black supremacist ideology through his speech. Unlike King, X believed that violence was necessary if it meant the black communities would break oppression. Even though the two iconic faces of the civil rights movement both had contrasting views on the methods of fighting for this equality, Malcolm X and Martin Luther both had the same audience and the same goal; to empower the blacks of America to fight for a racially equal America.

Martin luther King "I Have a Dream" Paragraphs

MLK's intended audience throughout his speech is aimed towards the oppressed black American community, and towards the end of his speech the American people as a whole. MLK addresses the oppressed black community of the 60s effectively using inclusive phrases in an effort to sympathize with Black Americans. Some significant inclusive phrases King uses are "Let us not wallow in the valley of despair" and "We face the difficulties of today and tomorrow", MLK is including himself when addressing the hardship both him and his people have faced in America. In an effort for collective change to be brought by the American people. Additionally he explicitly in his quotes references the suffering of all black Americans throughout the history of America, exemplifying the direction of his speech towards the black American community. Towards the end of the speak MLK addresses the people of America eluding to King's image of a colorless united America. As seen in the phrase  "Little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today." This phrase shows the transition of audience from the oppressed black Americans of America, to the collective people of America, mirroring to King's push for change in America. As such relaying to the overall context of Black Americans fighting for an America with no segregation.

MLK use of style and structure throughout his speech makes an effective push towards the reader's pathos on the oppression  of Black Americans. MLK uses metaphor through his speech to remind the reader of the hardships black American faced prior to the civil rights movement. As seen in the quotes "Negros slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice." and "The chains of discrimination". The metaphors used by King comment on the oppression of black Americans  in order to tap into the pathos of the listener. This emotion connection to the listener allows for them to sympathize with the speaker's cause. In this context the cause being the oppression of black Americans and the both for civil rights. Anaphora is used by King throughout his speech to effectively emphasize his vision of a free and unified America. The use of anaphora is seen in "I have a dream" begin stated at the start of multiple phrases. The use of repeating the phrase "I have a dream" is in order to emphasize King's points of his envisioned America. As following his anaphoric phrase are quotes like "Little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as sisters and brothers." allowing the listener to participate and almost envision King's dream of a colorless America.