AEC Chart for Online Submission

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Thesis Information:
Author: Martin Luther King JR.
Prompt Name: I have a dream
Rhetorical Mode: Persuasive
Subject: Equality
Audience: civil rights activists and antagonists of
said cause
Occasion: in front of the Lincoln memorial,
during the marches for equality
Tone: Empowering
Shifts: shifts from the dark oppression of
injustices in society to the bright, joyous
prospect of the future
Purpose: to encourage the audience to continue
fighting until justice prevails, ridding America of
segregation
SQ: Free at last (37)
Why: to ensure racial equality

Thesis Sentence:
Within Martin Luther King Jr.s empowering speech I Have a Dream he persuades the civil rights activists and
antagonists of equality in front of the Lincoln memorial, during the marches; King shifts from the dark oppression of
injustices in society to the bright, joyous prospect of the future to encourage the audience to continue fighting until
justice prevails, ridding America of segregation to ensure racial equality so the negros will be free at last(37).

Assertion 1 Concept: Recognize the struggle and hardships of the Negro
Author: Martin Luther king Jr.
Assertion Concept: Recognize the struggle and hardships of the negro
To/by Statement: (basic verb: to prove)
Purpose/why:

Assertion Sentence:

ADJ + DEVICE + TEXTUAL EVIDENCE: COMMENTARY:
1.
Paradoxical + contrasting Metaphor + One
hundred years later, the life of the negro is still
sadly crippled crippled by the manacles of
segregation and the chains of discrimination.
One hundred gears later the Negro lives on a
lonely island of poverty in the midst ofa vast sea
of material prosperity. One hundred years later
the Negro is still languished ill the corner of
American dream and finds himself in exile in his
own land. (paragraph 3 lines 1-5)
Near the beginning of the speech (why?) telling
his point early on
Contrasting Metaphor
By empowering the people through his diction
(why?) wants equality for all the only way to do
so is together
The negro*s+are still not free (line 7)
To remind the people of the hardships that they
have endured
By using emotional appeal (why?) his word
choice is exceptionally emotional
The hardships that the Negros have faced to
ensure racial equality (How?) he explains it
throughout the first two
paragraphs(WB){explains the why?}
The Negros are still in exile and they wish to
leave all of that behind(WB){tells the purpose}
He wants racial equality for all (WB)
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2. Empowering + Pathos + Some of you have
come fresh from narrow jail cells . Some of you
have come from areas where your quest for
freedom left you battered by the storms of
persecution and staggered by the winds of
police brutality. You have been the veterans' of
creative suffering. Continue to work with the
faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
(Paragraph 14 lines 2-4)
Beginning to midway through the speech
(why?) he is starting to develop his point/claim
An emotional appeal
By using his word choice to empower his
meaning- to make his diction sound more
emotional
Empowers the people to keep going
To use emotional appeal towards the Negros to
save them from the inequality.
Gets the people to understand what the Negros
have gone through because of their hardships
(why?)to show the people what all of them have
gone through
They have suffered from police brutality to
ensure racial equality (How?) by the great
trials and tribulations(WB),explains the why?-
The hardships and struggles they have
endured(WB){tells the purpose}
police brutality, slavery and extreme rasicm.
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3.
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4.
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Assertion 2 Concept: bright future for America
Adverbial Clause (Trans. +Previous Ass idea): By distinguishing the struggle and hardships of the Negros they can build
upon the fundamentals of America and bring a brighter better future about, that includes equality for all.
Author: Martin Luther King Jr.
Assertion Concept: to realize the bright future for America
To/by Statement: (basic verb: to prove) to prove that America has a promising future by persuading them so.
Purpose/why: to realize the promising future for America

Assertion Sentence:
By distinguishing the struggle and hardships of the Negros they can build upon the fundamentals of America and bring a
brighter, better future about, that includes equality for all, in so King Jr. realizes the optimistic prospect for America by
persuading them to identify the auspicious future.

ADJ + DEVICE + TEXTUAL EVIDENCE: COMMENTARY:
1. Hopeful + anaphora + I have a dream The placement of the anaphora is throughout the
speech, this is important because the multiple
uses added emphasize.
The device functions as anaphora
The device contributes to the overarching tone by
giving the people something to believe in.
The anaphora of I have a dream is important
because this helps in fulfilling logos and pathos.
1. It contributes to logos by the meaning it
has towards the argument for racial
justice and equality.
2. It contributes to pathos because it
touched their hearts, made them feel,
made them want change, and in wanting
that, some change was in order.
The author uses the quote throughout the
speech to add emphasis, the more he said he
the more the audience could tell he really meant
it.
The usage of the quote affects the audience by
making them want change; it is effective
because it set in motion the change for the
future.
The anaphora relates to the need to encourage
the audience to continue fighting until justice
prevails, ridding America of segregation by not
only sharing his dream with the audience but
sharing his vulnerability with them as well, this is
strengthened by the Negros want to be equal.
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2. Heavy + diction + dream
-baby devices of connotation and abstract
language

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Assertion 3 Concept:
Adverbial Clause (Trans. +Previous Ass idea):
Author:
Assertion Concept:
To/by Statement: (basic verb: to prove)
Purpose/why:

Assertion Sentence:

EVIDENCE: COMMENTARY:
1.
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2.
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