Similarities Between I Have A Dream And To Kill A Mockingbird
Racism was and is still a prominent issue. Therefore the line, “For the land of the free...” Americans proudly sing is evidently false. Many have addressed the subject of racial injustice, but did not have an impact like Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”. While both Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Atticus Finch’s closing argument in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” present powerful cases for overcoming racism, the “I Have a Dream” speech presents relatable situations, experiences of racism, and a vision of what life would be like if racism is no longer present. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech confronts or challenges racism by simplifying it. For example, “...America
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has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’” (King). A “bad check” is a check withdrawn from an account with not enough funds to cover the amount of the check. By understanding this, people are able to recognize the injustice of the false freedom given to the African Americans by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. In addition, he states, “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood” (King). Quicksand is wet sand that is sensitive to pressure and engulfs anything on it, and rocks are solid minerals which are opposites of each other. This juxtaposition creates a situation in which racial injustice and unification are seen clearly and how action needs to be taken to achieve “the solid rock of brotherhood”. Therefore, by elucidating the situation African Americans face, people are able to empathize and change their perspectives on segregation. It is true that Atticus, who is part of the oppressors, addresses people are equal.
“You know the truth and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white” (Lee, 204). This states that all African Americans are different. This also shows that the white people recognize that, but racism still exists. However, by showing the oppressor’s point of view, change it seemed less important. Martin Luther King Jr. shares the experiences of the oppressed within his speech. As stated in the text, “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality”. Police brutality is specifically unjust and more importantly unprovoked misuse of police power. In spite of it being illegal, it was acceptable against African Americans whose only difference are their skin color. In another case, “We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: ‘For Whites Only’” (King). Children represent innocence. By removing this innocence, children are exposed to the horrors of the world, making them susceptible to being numb to the hope of change. By giving extreme views of the ones who are being affected by a problem, it is more accountable, making it easier to believe. Finally, MLK envisions a future in which racism is abolished. To demonstrate, “ 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” (King). Due to racism, people assume certain ethnicities have specific traits. By getting rid of racial profiling, people are not burdened or expected to act a certain way, but are able to express themselves freely, which is true freedom. Moreover, he states, “...one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers” (King). The innocence that children have blinds them from the horrid nature of the world. If children disproved racism at a young age, they will be accepting of all people, creating peace. By showing that without racism, the world will be positively influenced; this encourages people to strive for this situation.
has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’” (King). A “bad check” is a check withdrawn from an account with not enough funds to cover the amount of the check. By understanding this, people are able to recognize the injustice of the false freedom given to the African Americans by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. In addition, he states, “Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood” (King). Quicksand is wet sand that is sensitive to pressure and engulfs anything on it, and rocks are solid minerals which are opposites of each other. This juxtaposition creates a situation in which racial injustice and unification are seen clearly and how action needs to be taken to achieve “the solid rock of brotherhood”. Therefore, by elucidating the situation African Americans face, people are able to empathize and change their perspectives on segregation. It is true that Atticus, who is part of the oppressors, addresses people are equal.
“You know the truth and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white” (Lee, 204). This states that all African Americans are different. This also shows that the white people recognize that, but racism still exists. However, by showing the oppressor’s point of view, change it seemed less important. Martin Luther King Jr. shares the experiences of the oppressed within his speech. As stated in the text, “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality”. Police brutality is specifically unjust and more importantly unprovoked misuse of police power. In spite of it being illegal, it was acceptable against African Americans whose only difference are their skin color. In another case, “We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: ‘For Whites Only’” (King). Children represent innocence. By removing this innocence, children are exposed to the horrors of the world, making them susceptible to being numb to the hope of change. By giving extreme views of the ones who are being affected by a problem, it is more accountable, making it easier to believe. Finally, MLK envisions a future in which racism is abolished. To demonstrate, “ 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” (King). Due to racism, people assume certain ethnicities have specific traits. By getting rid of racial profiling, people are not burdened or expected to act a certain way, but are able to express themselves freely, which is true freedom. Moreover, he states, “...one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers” (King). The innocence that children have blinds them from the horrid nature of the world. If children disproved racism at a young age, they will be accepting of all people, creating peace. By showing that without racism, the world will be positively influenced; this encourages people to strive for this situation.