I HAVE A DREAM

                                                                                            Martin Luther King Jr.

Critical Summary:

Martin Luther King Jr. known for his policy of passive resistant and oratorical skills, a leader of black people and campaigner of civil rights, delivered the speech “I have a dream” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King states that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation frees the slaves announced on 22 September 1862, American Constitution drew up in 1787 preserving of individual and federal states’ rights and Declaration of Independence based on unalienable rights; Life, Liberty and Pursuit of happiness issued on 4 July 1776 were limited on the paper, but the implementation was strictly beyond the expectation of the people and the nation. So, King insists on his views to provide freedom and equality to black people and eliminate the racial injustice by developing a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood and unity among black and white.

King questions on the implementation of written rights states that Negros are still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination. They are neglected and are in exile in their own land. For freedom and equality, until the Negros are granted their citizenship rights, they will continue their non-violence revolution. They are compelled to conduct their struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline and allow their creative protest to degenerate into physical force with soul force until their legitimate demands are met. Their action should not cause any distrust among the white people because their destiny is tied up with the destiny of the white. So, they should develop the sense of brotherhood. Also, our freedom is tied with theirs.

The black people will be satisfied when they are not oppressed by the police brutality guided by white. When they are tired, they must get lodging in the Motels and Hotels. They should be allowed to go where the whites go and get the rights to vote with the sense of why they are voting. King reinforces the people to keep the fighting until they get justice and they are created equal.

Luther says that his dream is deeply rooted in the American dream which gives the priority on material prosperity. It is a dream of freedom and equality, Justice and security, and dream of the land where the content of character is more important than the color of skin. All the racists will no longer believe in color. The blacks and the whites will work together, eat together and they will be brothers and sisters. All the differences will disappear. There will be a sweet music of liberty which will be common of the Americans guided/inspired by Negros spirit resounding all over the country. At last they will all be free.

Question-Answers:

Q.1. What is the historical significance of Martin Luther King’s speech?

Ans:- From 1600 onward till 1963, the blacks of the USA were slaves. They were exploited to various works without paying them for their labour. In 1862, President Lincoln had declared through ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ that the slaves would be freed from the beginning of 1863. But unfortunately, the blacks were not freed. They still remained poor, neglected, jobless and uneducated. They could not enjoy the equal constitutional rights, freedom and justice like the whites. They were regarded as the second class citizens even in their own prosperous land.

Martin Luther was a leader of the Black Civil Rights Movement from the black community. He launched the non-violent resistance for achieving the equal rights, liberty, justice and freedom for the American blacks. He wanted to be treated the same way as whites in America. He claimed the same chances to get good education, good jobs and to earn money as whites.

Addressing a large mass of blacks and whites, Martin Luther said that Emancipation Proclamation had come as a ray of hope for the millions of Negro slaves, but the slavery and racial discrimination continued in practice and Negroes were sidelined by the rich majority of white community. So, for the equal rights and freedom, Martin Luther had to deliver the speech making the nation responsible for the racial discrimination. Thus the speech has the great historical significance.

Q.2. What is Martin Luther King complaining about?

Ans:- Delivering the historically significant speech in front of millions of blacks and whites, Martin Luther complained that the Emancipation Proclamation had promised a hope to millions of Negroes to abolish slavery and equal rights. But even after one hundred years, the Negroes were not free and there was still a racial discrimination between the blacks and whites. The poor Negroes were sidelined by the whites. They were still the victims of segregation and discrimination. The black people found themselves exiled in their own rich land and were compelled to lead their lives in poverty.  They were also deprived of equal rights, liberty, freedom and justice. He argued that the constitution and the declaration of independence guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. But such kind of promissory note was found to be a deception like a bad check that refused to encash. Luther complained that the court of justice refused to do justice to Negroes.

Q.3. What is the dream Martin Luther King has?

Ans: Martin Luther is hopeful that one day the Emancipation Proclamation signed by the president Abraham Lincoln comes to be true and thereby the Negro slaves will be free and they will have racial justice. He says that he has a dream that one day all the people will be treated equally. He says that his dream is the dream of America. His dream is the dream of freedom, justice and equality. One day all American will be judged on the basis of their character and actions, but not on the basis of their skin colour. He has a dream that one day all racial discriminations and inequalities between the blacks and the whites will disappear. All the black and white people will walk together joining their hands as brothers and sisters. Finally all Americans will be free. There will be a sweet music of liberty, justice and equality all over America. He has a dream that one day the USA will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed.

Q.4. To what extent does king’s personal authority lend power to his words?

Ans:- Martin Luther King’s personal authority lends a greater extent to his words because he was the main campaigner of the Black Civil Rights Movement in the USA. He was the most respected and influential leader, who started a non-violent resistance in America for abolishing racial discrimination and inequalities between the blacks and the whites. He was highly educated, simple, polite and generous, in whom both the blacks and the whites believed. American people might have accepted his leadership because he could lead the march of more than two hundred thousand black and white people on August 28, 1963. He delivered a speech, which was highly impressive and convincing, standing on the steps of Lincoln Memorial. It proves his power to his language that was full of similes and metaphors.

                                                   The End