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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“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
“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