Similarities Between Animal Farm And I Have A Dream Speech

The way society runs has changed drastically over time. Even now, the world is changing just one step at a time, starting from a single action that can lead to multiple acts to create a big difference. In the book Animal Farm by George Orwell and the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr, both pieces convince the people or animals that make up their community to be hopeful for a better future despite the corrupted systems that devastate their society. In Animal Farm, George Orwell uses the character of Old Major to encourage the animals of Manor Farm to commence a rebellion against the farm’s owner, Mr. Jones, by informing them of the humans’ wrongdoings of exploiting the animals. In the “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King
both illustrate pathos in their speeches in order to hearten the audience through their emotions to fight for their individual rights and freedoms. Pathos is presented in Old Major’s speech to appeal to the animal’s feelings about their cruel fate as animals. For instance, Old Major states, “the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth” (Orwell 7). The strong feelings of sadness and fear are drawn out from the animals as Old Major says the phrases “slaughtered with hideous cruelty” and “misery and slavery.” Any living creature is weaker and more vulnerable when they are emotional, and so these tragic truths serve as a way for Old Major to compel the animals to give up to their sentiments and fight for they believe. Pathos is also demonstrated in the “I Have a Dream” speech when Martin Luther King Jr. called out the people’s emotions to inspire them to strive for their equal rights and liberty. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses, “sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination… the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of vast ocean of material prosperity… finds himself an exile in his own land” (King 1). He is able to give a very emotional speech through the
Old Major uses logos to enlighten the animals of all the unjust treatments they have been receiving from the humans. For example, logos is revealed in Old Major’s speech when he states, “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits” (Orwell 7-8). His usage of logos allows him to manipulate the way the animals perceived humans and themselves. The fact that humans are not as strong or fast as many animals shows that man is weaker than animal and is able to take away most of the hesitation and fear among the animals for initiating a rebellion with them. Martin Luther King Jr. also applies logos into his speech to reveal that even facts support the equitable rights for all people despite any racial differences. For instance, he utilizes logos by presenting an important document in his speech, “Declaration of Independence… every American was to fall heir… would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’” (King 1). King asserts that the Declaration of Independence declares that all men are granted equal rights and freedom. It is not written anywhere on the document that African Americans, who are also human