A Critical Discourse Analysis of I Have a Dream Speech through the Semantic Use of Monetary Symbols to Reflect Injustice
A Critical Discourse Analysis of I Have a Dream Speech through the Semantic Use of Monetary Symbols to Reflect Injustice
Abstract
This paper is a critical discourse analysis of I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King to show how he uses metaphors to reflect injustice. The paper aims first at giving a glimpse of the econo-, politico-, and socio- cultural background which triggered the speech. From there, I move on to studying the macro and micro layers of the speech and to how many parts is divided. The theoretical framework used in this paper is Fairclough’s theory of language and power. The methodology used in analyzing the speech is a semantic approach through the use of metaphors related to finance which reflects injustice in the U.S. politics. The paper concludes with a note whether the speech had impact on the perlocutionary.
Keywords: critical discourse analysis, metaphor, injustice
A Critical Discourse Analysis of I Have a Dream Speech through the Semantic Use of Monetary Symbols to Reflect Injustice I Have a Dream speech is described as one of the greatest speeches of all time. Some even go on further nominating it as the greatest speech of the 20th century. The speech was made in 1963 by reverend Martin Luther King. It came in a period of racial tension and political turmoil where blacks were discriminated against by the U.S. government. It was a time of segregation and high unemployment within the black community. Black people were victims of prejudice and discrimination. This speech came to position black men into the American society and to integrate them back into their own country which had alienated them. Martin Luther king was a great orator. He knew how to influence the public and the government alike by his skillful use of language. He was a mouthpiece of the underprivileged and underdog in attaining the rights of blacks and other underrepresented groups. This paper focuses on Martin Luther king’s use
Abstract
This paper is a critical discourse analysis of I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King to show how he uses metaphors to reflect injustice. The paper aims first at giving a glimpse of the econo-, politico-, and socio- cultural background which triggered the speech. From there, I move on to studying the macro and micro layers of the speech and to how many parts is divided. The theoretical framework used in this paper is Fairclough’s theory of language and power. The methodology used in analyzing the speech is a semantic approach through the use of metaphors related to finance which reflects injustice in the U.S. politics. The paper concludes with a note whether the speech had impact on the perlocutionary.
Keywords: critical discourse analysis, metaphor, injustice
A Critical Discourse Analysis of I Have a Dream Speech through the Semantic Use of Monetary Symbols to Reflect Injustice I Have a Dream speech is described as one of the greatest speeches of all time. Some even go on further nominating it as the greatest speech of the 20th century. The speech was made in 1963 by reverend Martin Luther King. It came in a period of racial tension and political turmoil where blacks were discriminated against by the U.S. government. It was a time of segregation and high unemployment within the black community. Black people were victims of prejudice and discrimination. This speech came to position black men into the American society and to integrate them back into their own country which had alienated them. Martin Luther king was a great orator. He knew how to influence the public and the government alike by his skillful use of language. He was a mouthpiece of the underprivileged and underdog in attaining the rights of blacks and other underrepresented groups. This paper focuses on Martin Luther king’s use
References: Fairclough, N. (1989).Language and power: the critical study of language. Essex: Longman Limited. Fairclough, N. (1992). Discourse and social change. Cambridge: Polity Press. Foucault, M. (1984). The order of discourse. In Shapiro, M. (ed.) Language and politics. Blackwell. Griffiths, P. (2006). An introduction to English semantics and pragmatics. Edingurgh: Edingurgh University Press. King, M.L.,Jr. (1963, August 28).[I Have a Dream]. Speech presented in Washington D.C. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf Van Dijk, T. (1990). Discourse and Society: A New Journal for a New Research Focus. 1960s. (2014). From Wikipedia online encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s