Unit Fifteen I Had A Dream —— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ⅰ. Before Reading Ⅱ. Global Reading Ⅲ. Detailed Reading Ⅳ. After Reading

Ⅰ. Before Reading

About the Author

Martin Luther King, Jr., (1929-1968)

1954 Became minister of a Baptist church1955-1956 1950s-1960s Was arrested on numerous occasions because of non-violence resistance 1963 1964 Was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

April 4,1968

Ⅱ. Global Reading

Historical BackgroundSlavery had been abolished in 1863,

segregation in the 1950s Separate &

Unequal Treatment

Law

Meet violence with nonviolence.

Meet hate with love.The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregation was illegal.

Ⅲ. Detailed Reading

Teaching Points

1. this momentous decree — this important proclamation with far-reaching historical significance momentous — of very great importance, especially in its impact on the future. E.g.: The APEC Summit, which took place in October, 2001 in Shanghai, was a momentous event.

2. a…beacon light of hope — a light set up in a high, prominent position as a signal, guidance, etc. E.g.: Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto is a beacon light for all the oppressed people around the world.

3. withering injustice wither (v) — “dry up, wilt, shrivel, etc.”. E.g.: flowers and leaves wither. withering (adj.) — intended to make someone feel ashamed, humiliated or mortified. So withering injustice means “injustice that humiliates or brings shame to the blacks.” E.g.: a withering look.

4. is…crippled — is harmed, maimed, or impaired. Here, it is used in a figurative sense. The original meaning of cripple: cause (someone) to become unable to move or walk properly. E.g.: A young student was crippled for life. Crippling (adj.): E.g.: a crippling disease

5. the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination — Manacles and chains are synonymous. There are other words meaning the same thing. E.g.: handcuffs, hand-fetters, shackles, etc. Call the student’s attention to the author’s extensive use of the figurative language in his speech to make the description of the ordeal of the black people in the U.S.A. move vivid and impressive, and to arouse the sympathy of the audience.

6. Languish — be forced to remain in an unpleasant situation. A person may languish in jail, in solitary confinement, etc. Languish may also mean “ lose vitality, grow weak”, etc. E.g.: Plants languish because of intense heat.

7. an exile in his own land — An exile is usually a person forced to leave his own country,

often for political reasons. Blacks residing in the U.S have every right to claim the U.S.

as their own country. However, being social outcasts, they live a life of an exile.

E.g.: the return of political exiles

8. Dramatize — The usual meaning of dramatize is “change a book, etc. into a play”.

E.g.: Many great novels have been dramatized and well received.

Dramatize may also mean “make an event or situation seem very important and serious”.

E.g.: Don’t dramatize everyday happenings as if they were great events.

In the text, Dr. King uses the word dramatize to emphasize the point

that blacks are living an unbearably miserable life.

9. Inalienable — which cannot be taken away, often in the phrase inalienable rights.

E.g., The right to vote is inalienable for every citizen aged 18 or above in our country.

10. American has defaulted on this promissory note… — America has failed to honor its promise that all men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of…. Default on — fail to fulfill an obligation. E.g.: If you default on your monthly payment, your apartment is likely to be repossessed.

11. honor (v.) — fulfill an obligation or keep an agreement; pay a check when it is due. E.g.: It is the bank’s right not to honor a bad check.

12. the tranquilizing drug of gradualism — Here, gradualism refers to a kind of idea that emphasizes on slow, gradual, and piecemeal reform, rather than radical or drastic change, hence producing the tranquilizing effect. i.e., a calming or soothing effect, making it easier for the dominant class to accept. Gradualism is compared to a tranquilizing drug, because piecemeal change is likely t

o make blacks feel that something is being done to solve their problems. Subsequently, they become less sensitive to injustice and inequality around them.

.

13. the quicksands of racial injustice —

Racial injustice is compared to quicksands because the former brings untold sufferings to the blacks just as the latter sucks in any person resting on or falling into them.the solid rock of brotherhood — Brotherhood, a condition or feeling of friendship and companionship, which is the result of shared interests, etc., is compared to a solid rock, because it is indestructible and everlasting.

14. drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred — taking (violent) action out of resentment and animosity.

15. the …militancy which has engulfed the Negro community —

the readiness to fight/the combative spirits permeate(s) the whole black community.

It is necessary to distinguish between militancy and militarism,

and between militant and military.

engulf — (of a natural force) sweep over something so as to surround or cover it completely. E.g.: The workshop where fireworks were made was engulfed in flames

during the recent explosion.

16. as evidenced by their presence — as shown by their presence; in other words,

their presence served as a piece of evidence.

When evidence is used as a verb, it is often used in the passive voice.

E.g.: The success of the proposal was evidenced by the unanimous approval

from the participants.

17. Motel — a roadside hotel designed primarily for motorists.

Origin 1920s: It is a blend of motor and hotel.

18. trials and tribulations — this is a set phrase meaning “situations that test

a person’s endurance or forbearance.

E.g.: After many trials and tribulations, he succeeded in his experiment.

19. wallow in the valley of despair — indulge oneself immoderately in the depths

of despair; abandon oneself to despair.

E.g.: I was wallowing in the luxury of the hotel.

He had been wallowing in self-pity.

20. will…live out the true meaning of its creed —

will experience in reality the true meaning of what it believes in

21. whose governor’s lips are…dripping with words —

whose governor is talking a great deal about…

22. the jangling discords of our nation — the upsetting disharmony of our nation.

23. Land of the pilgrims’ pride — The pilgrims refer to the Pilgrim Fathers, or British

settlers in colonial America. Fleeing religious persecution, these pilgrims sailed

in the Mayflower and founded the colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1920.

24. Jews and Gentiles — Jews and non-Jewish peoples.

Organization and Development

1. There are many adjectives and nouns used in para.2. King is making use of the connotations of these words to arouse the feelings of his audience. E.g. : crippled, manacles, segregation, chains, discrimination, lonely, languished, exile, appalling.

2. In para.7, King gives examples to show the conditions that blacks find dissatisfying: unspeakable horrors of police brutality; our bodies heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities; the basic mobility is from a small ghetto to a larger one; cannot vote.

3. The conditions he describes in his dream awakens the longings of the black people.

4. King also makes use of the

common religious belief of blacks. He refers to God a number of times, and also quotes an old Negro spiritual.

5. In para.4, the repetition of the sentence beginning

“ Now is the time…” creates the sense of urgency.

6. In para.6, the repeated use of “ we must…”

emphatically asserts King’s stand of nonviolence.

7. In para7, by repeatedly using “ we can never…as long as…”,

King expresses his firm determination while at the same time

boosting that of his listeners’ to attain the goal of their struggle.

8. In para.9, the repetition of the imperative form “ Go back to…”

serves well as a powerful call for black solidarity and national action.

9. From para.11 to para.18, King repeats “ I have a dream that…”.

This repetition not only presents to his audience a beautiful picture

of the future they should all strive for, but also drives home his point

that his dream is actually nothing more than that of all American people.

Ⅳ . After Reading

1. Inequality of treatment

of blacks and other

minority groups has

been perhaps the most

deep-seated problem in

American democracy.

Although legal

guarantees have been

greatly expanded since

1950, the problem is

still a long way from

solution. Why? What

are the chief reasons

for this perennial

problem to be around

for so long time in the

U.S.?

2. Segregation is partly a private

matter that cannot be eliminated

by legislation alone. It persists

in many areas of American life,

in both North and South.

However, official opposition has

placed segregationists on the

defensive. Where segregation

exists, it is frequently denied or

excused, indicating that it is in

retreat. But does the removal of

segregation mean the

disappearance of racial

discrimination itself? Does

desegregation amount to

integration of blacks into the

mainstream society? What is

the difference between explicit

and implicit discrimination?

3. Given the long history of

white people’s

discrimination against

blacks in the U.S.A., is

there any possibility for

blacks to achieve full

equality in that land of

freedom?

4. Let’s search our own souls. Do we have prejudice of some sort? In what ways do our biases express themselves? What do you think is the root cause of human prejudice? Can human beings really eliminate it?