Malcolm X
Ms. Rhodehouse
AP English- Period 4
May 31, 2012
During the 1960’s, the powerful speeches spoken about equality by two men about black empowerment, ultimately lead to them to their deaths. The words spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were so strong and influential, helping them gain great audiences and followers. King preached out over the “brotherhood” among races, and the importance of non-violence. Malcolm X, also advocated for the end to segregation, but emphasized the needs for blacks to become independent of the white man, and stand up for themselves. Both King and Malcolm X had similar goals in their minds, but took distinct paths to attain those goals. Both of their many speeches varied with great distinction. While the content and underlying ideas of the speeches may have different examples and ideas, they both use many common literary devices and rhetorical strategies to attain their audience’s attention. It is through Malcolm X’s use of emotion, together with the use of other strategies, that he ultimately created a more passionate influence on his audience.
The early lives that these men lived had much influence on how they would later view racism, and speak out on segregation. Martin Luther King Jr., born Micheal Luther King Jr., was raised with a middle-class family, where his mother and father stressed the importance of obtaining an education (Martin). Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, came from a place filled with fear and danger, where the “Klansmen shouted threats and warnings [about how] ‘the good old Christian white people’ were not going to stand for [his] father’s ‘spreading trouble’” (X, Malcolm and 1). Malcolm’s early childhood experiences would be there to haunt him for the rest of his life. The experiences that these men encountered at a young age, planted the seeds to how they would flourish into the voices of the oppressed African-American people, and the ways in which they would deliver their speeches.
Malcolm X, was
AP English- Period 4
May 31, 2012
During the 1960’s, the powerful speeches spoken about equality by two men about black empowerment, ultimately lead to them to their deaths. The words spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were so strong and influential, helping them gain great audiences and followers. King preached out over the “brotherhood” among races, and the importance of non-violence. Malcolm X, also advocated for the end to segregation, but emphasized the needs for blacks to become independent of the white man, and stand up for themselves. Both King and Malcolm X had similar goals in their minds, but took distinct paths to attain those goals. Both of their many speeches varied with great distinction. While the content and underlying ideas of the speeches may have different examples and ideas, they both use many common literary devices and rhetorical strategies to attain their audience’s attention. It is through Malcolm X’s use of emotion, together with the use of other strategies, that he ultimately created a more passionate influence on his audience.
The early lives that these men lived had much influence on how they would later view racism, and speak out on segregation. Martin Luther King Jr., born Micheal Luther King Jr., was raised with a middle-class family, where his mother and father stressed the importance of obtaining an education (Martin). Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, came from a place filled with fear and danger, where the “Klansmen shouted threats and warnings [about how] ‘the good old Christian white people’ were not going to stand for [his] father’s ‘spreading trouble’” (X, Malcolm and 1). Malcolm’s early childhood experiences would be there to haunt him for the rest of his life. The experiences that these men encountered at a young age, planted the seeds to how they would flourish into the voices of the oppressed African-American people, and the ways in which they would deliver their speeches.
Malcolm X, was
Cited: Boyer, Paul S. "The Turbulent Sixties." The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath, 1990. Print. "Biography." Martin Luther King -. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. . "Critical Analysis: The Ballot or The Bullet." Socyberty. Web. 02 June 2012. . Luther King, Martin. Speech. I Have a Dream. Washington D.C. 28 Aug. 1963. American Rhetoric. Web. 02 June 2012. . Malcolm X. Dir. Spike Lee. Prod. Spike Lee. By Spike Lee and Arnold Perl. Perf. Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, and Al Freeman. Warner Bros., 1992. DVD. "Martin Luther King, Jr." SparkNotes. SparkNotes. Web. 05 June 2012. . X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: One World/Ballantine, 1992. Print. X, Malcolm. Speech. The Ballot or the Bullet. Cory Methodist Church, Cleaveland. 3 Apr. 1964. Social Justice Speeches. Web. 02 June 2012. .