William Faulkner 's A Rose For Emily

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became a civil rights activist shortly after attaining his doctorate in theology from Boston University. He later went on to deliver one of the finest speeches in United States history on August 28, 1963 entitled “I Have a Dream.” Over 200,000 people arrived to hear King deliver this speech. King uses a number of rhetorical devices to accentuate his point such as metaphors, antitheses, as well as anaphora’s. In addressing the nation Dr. Martin Luther King Jr effectively uses the appeals of Ethos, Pathos and Logos to convince the audience to take action in demanding racial justice for African-Americans; He envisioned a nation uniting as one to defend the rights of every ethnicity under the constitution.

Whether it be in a sarcastic verbiage or not, Martin Luther King Jr. addresses his audience by saying, “but since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms” (King). By using a first-person point of view, King Jr. is able to establish himself as a credible speaker. “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization

On September 25, 1897, William Cuthbert Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi. He stands as one of the most preeminent American writers of the twentieth century. His literary reputation included poetry, novels, short stories, and screenplays. Faulkner won two Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction and the Nobel Prize in Literature. “A Rose for Emily” is a short fascinating story written by William Faulkner and it was his first short story published in a national magazine. The story involved an old woman named Emily Grierson, the daughter of a rich man that was considered a hero in the town where they lived. The story takes place in the fictional Town of Jefferson, Mississippi during and after the civil war between the Northerners and Southerners. Emily’s childhood was never easy; her father was always overprotective with her even when she was a grown woman. Charmaine Mosby an English Professor of Western Kentucky University in his work analysis of “A Rose for Emily” writes, “Miss Emily Grierson had been cut off from most social contact and all courtship by her father.” This was the principal reason why Emily Grierson was always a lonely soul.

“Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” -MLK. He adverted to the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln's declaration to liberate black slaves in America. He then quotes from the Declaration's claim of "the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." With several references to biblical passages, Christian verses, and God, King develops his credibility by including generally held religious beliefs into his speech.

Though Martin Luther King Jr. worked very closely with the White House, many of the early correspondences were very formal. Two prime examples of this are his invitation to John F. Kennedy’s inauguration and a telegraph sent in response the Birmingham bombing (Figure 1). The stiffness of the invitation might seem obvious, but it is very important to note. Though MLK did not attend the ceremony, the letter signifies the desire of the administration to have him seen as a political ally. Two years later MLK sent a telegram to the White House. In the telegram, he condemns the bombing and implores the Kennedy administration to make change saying, “However, I am convinced that unless some steps are taken by the federal government to restore a sense of confidence in the protection of life… we shall see the worst racial holocaust this nation has ever seen,” (Figure 1). This is not a suggestion passed along casually, but an attempt to establish respect on a very pertinent issue.

Contrary to many other politicians, Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a Dream’ speech sparked inspiration within his nation and other countries such as Britain who were also facing racial inequality. From his use of political rhetoric and his confident body language he was able to kick start a future where everyone was treated equally and through powerful rhetorical devices he was able to change the world’s perceptions on racism and inequality. Throughout a large section of the speech Martin Luther King uses powerful and vivid metaphors to ignite an emotional response from his audience. He starts the metaphor by saying ‘We have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check’ and in the following paragraphs uses jargon such as ‘insufficient funds’,

Love is an intense feeling of affection for someone, while hate is a feeling of an intense dislike or loathe for someone. However, they are both similar due to how these emotions cause a human to act irrationally. The lone woman in A Rose for Emily and the cashier, Sammy, in A & P both portrayed a greater sense of hate which overcame their love.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in the Civil Rights Era, advocating for the Civil Rights Act’s passage and eventually passage of the Voting Rights Act in the 1960s. In his capacity as a Civil Rights leader, MLK delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech after the march for Civil Rights in Washington, D.C. His speech was delivered on August 28th in front of the Lincoln Memorial. In his speech, MLK made sure to emphasize the hope that many African Americans had in the United States. Furthermore, MLK makes it clear that hope to him is defined as, “Sons of former slaves and sons of former slave owners can sit down at the table of brotherhood… that Mississippi will someday be turned into an oasis of freedom and justice… that [his] children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” (King, 219) MLK’s sense of hope is shared by his need for the humane and equal treatment of African Americans. Moreover, MLK stands and speaks in front of Abraham Lincoln’s National Monument, alluding to the historic signing of the Emancipation Proclamation which abolished slavery. The significance of this allusion helps to show the progress that has yet to be made, the fact that African Americans 100 years later still need to fight to be treated like human beings. MLK hopes to lead a movement which will see the abolishment of segregation between people of color and white people, as well as the right for African Americans to vote and reform their

In “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, set in Jackson Mississippi in the year of 1931, there are many occurrences of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is defined as a warning or indication of a future event. Faulkner uses multiple foreshadowing events in this Nobel Prize Winning story to build up to the shocking last sentence. Some of these occurrences include Miss Emily’s smelly house, when she purchases arsenic from the druggist, the purchase of toiletries and clothing for her sweetheart, and her upstairs being locked for many years. This short story is meant to be a horror, although throughout the story most would not be able to tell. Faulkner uses these foreshadowing occurrences to push the reader towards the horrific ending.

“Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for,” he wrote. “Honor him for being the great man that he was!”

Martin Luther King Jr: Good evening, it’s a privilege being here to discuss an important matter with you all.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter…” ~MLK Jr. When we hear of this name, we think of a man who helped to overcome segregation, poverty, and violence. A man who used a non-violent stance to obtain freedom. He inspired thousands of people in the United States to act against racism, end poverty, and strive for peace. (Nieuwhof, 2017) Before he died, his famous “I have a dream…” speech captured the attention of several by describing the struggles of African Americans, how we are all supposed to be equal and finishing by telling his dream of hoping one day we will be able to live in peace.

Happy to end this I intervene saying, “That great point by President Washington concludes our interview thank you all for attending. I know it took you a long time to arrive

The horizon rises from behind the White House making it look grand and beautiful. The darkness of early morning recedes and color rushes to take it’s place. Today is going to be a momentous day and everyone knows it. I can feel the exhilaration and stress of everyone around me. Workers begin setting up chairs, a stage and a podium for the upcoming event. In the midst of this cool August day the rights of all will become a reality. I know because these words have been spoken to me over and over again. I’ve been to every speech, every event, never to be replaced.

Ladies and gentlemen of the assembly, we have gathered here today to make history. Today the eyes of the whole world watch us, patiently waiting to see what we make of this newly-born country with our hard fought for liberty. However, as we decide how we shall act in the years to come, I pray that we not forget the oppressive tyranny that led to our struggle for freedom; or those who gave their lives to make our aspirations a reality. For our actions here, today, though they may seem logical and pure in intent, may pave the road for a new wave of tyranny similar to that which we've fought so hard to escape.