MLK offers encouragement to people who have been harassed by police, arrested, mugged…sadly, the list goes on. The resistors of the Civil Rights Movement were not going to budge easily. Some of the basic infrastructure of society—schools, jails, police forces, public transportation, voting booths—were deployed to punish protesters. Repression means being held down by the powers that be—also known as The Man.
Questions About Religion
- Which passages in "I Have a Dream" reflect Martin Luther King, Jr.'s background as a preacher?
- How does the religiosity of the speech affect the message, especially at the end of the speech?
- Which rhetorical devices are used to convey the religious aspect of the speech?
- The speech references both American values and Christian values. What is the relationship between these two different types of values?
Chew on This
Check out some potential thesis statements about I Have a Dream.
Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to instill a combination of persistence and faith in his followers.
The ending of "I Have a Dream" ties together a message of religious tolerance with cross-racial unity.