I saw some evidence of emotive thinking in the speech of Martin Luther King, “ I have a Dream”. I base my opinion by starting with the definition of emotive thinking: may be feeling aroused to the point of awareness, often a strong feeling or state of excitement. Throughout Martin Luther King’s speech he uses emotional appeal to relate to the audience, draw the audience in, and bring forth an understanding of segregation and discrimination. You can see it evident in this fragment of the speech: write here.
“ I am not mindful that some of you have come here out of much trials and tribulations. Some of you have come from fresh narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest—quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. ” He transmits sympathy and tries to relate to the suffering of a lot of the people that came to see him and has all their hope on Martin Luther King and believe that he can bring change to their actual circumstances.
Would you relate more to King emotionally if you had young children that were kept from hanging out with white children because of the color of their skin? “ I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. ” By relating to the audience with his children it shows that he truly cares about the nation and the future generations that will rise up in this country. Martin Luther King’s thriving voice was well practiced in his ability as a Baptist preacher.
His tempo, his pacing and his preacher-like drama bring real fervor to the speech. His tempo, his pacing and his preacher-like drama bring real fervor to the speech. He used powerful, evocative language to draw an emotional connection to his audience. But in the last phrase that I just quote from the speech you can also perceive some prejudicial thinking. While specific definitions of prejudice given by social scientists often differ, most agree that it involves prejudgments, usually negative, about members of a group.
When prejudice occurs, stereotyping and discrimination may also result. In many cases, prejudices are based upon stereotypes. The purpose of Martin Luther King was to let the people hear the voice of the African American community and cry out for equality and to tell everyone that enough is enough. What is the purpose about which I am thinking? What is the main problem I need to solve? What is the crucial issue I need to solve? These are some the question that MLK addressed in his speech.
One on the assumption that MLK race was that him as a minister after giving the speech he was sending everyone with the Gospel of Martin Luther King and his dream that now it was everyone’s dream to reach every little community from Alabama, Colorado, Georgia and Mississippi. He said: “ Let the freedom ring” from every corner of this country through and they will be able to speed the day that everyone, Jews, protestant, black and white will sing together and join hands.
It’s thought that King ditched the script so that he could connect more with his audience. And it worked. “ I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations,” he begins. King goes on to talk to his audience and their personal situations directly, “ Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.”
King is with the people, fully connecting to them with his eyes and delivering a powerful rhythm in his speaking. Martin Luther King’s script reflected like he had an out-of-body experience. He left open question so people can provide their own answers but at the same time he came them courage, motivation and desired to do what they need to do to launch this movement.
