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  • Essay / Martin Luther King's Use of Metaphors in His Speeches

    Martin Luther King's metaphors attempt to influence clergymen to put themselves in the shoes of African Americans. He expresses the deprivation of African Americans with metaphor when he writes; "When you see the vast majority of your twenty million black brothers suffocated in an airtight cage of poverty in the middle of a rich society..." King compares "suffocation in an airtight cage" to the poverty suffered by Afro-Americans. -Americans. A second metaphor described racial injustice as “quicksand.” Using the metaphor of “quicksand” highlights the urgency of the problem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThis quote demonstrates how racial injustice harms America and puts its citizens in dangerous circumstances. Although racial injustice and quicksand are different, they are both negative elements that cause destruction. Furthermore, metaphors can be seen again in King's letter where they are used to characterize injustice as immoral. King emphasizes this situation by stating that it is painful like "a boil which can never be cured as long as it is concealed but which must be opened with all its ugliness flowing from the pus to the natural medicines of air and water." light…” In other words. a healing boil parallels the exposure of racial injustice so that it can be resolved. When racism is exposed, people can realize the true horror of the problem. He believes that this use of metaphor will cause his audience to think about these circumstances in detail. Additionally, in the second sentence of paragraph 14, King juxtaposes the rate of change of Asian and African cultures with the rate of change of American culture. To achieve this juxtaposition, he creates a metaphor, stating that Africa and Asia "are moving at the speed of a jet plane toward political independence, but we continue to move at the pace of a horse and d 'a buggy to get a cup of coffee at the lunch counter'. The effect of this metaphor is shocking, because America, being one of the most powerful countries on the planet, is less progressive than a third world country. The way he says it is also extremely powerful, showing that the people of Africa are extremely close to something huge like complete political independence, but Americans are not even close to being able to eat in the same restaurants as each other. Keep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.Get a custom essayHowever, there is much more to this metaphor than it seems. The cup not only represents being able to eat alongside white men, but it also represents complete equality, which is extremely desirable. “There comes a time when the cup of endurance overflows and men no longer want to plunge into the abyss of despair. » Once again he refers to this cut as what black people are trying to achieve. One day their dream will come true and their cup will be full. A simple object like a mug can symbolize something much bigger than its physical appearance..