Malcolm X Persuasive Essay

One of the first differences between Martin Luther King’s speech and Malcolm X’s speech is the persuasive techniques they use in their speeches. These include ethos, logos, and pathos. In King’s speech, he said, “This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” King emphasized the fact that Negroes had been suffering for a long time. He made his speech sound more dramatic by making analogies that were presented using pathos. By using pathos in his speech, he was effective in persuading the audience due to the positive emotions he allowed them to feel. When King talked about the light of hope to millions of Negro slaves, he made the audience feel hopeful. This was very effective in his speech because of the use of pathos. Talking on different terms, X says, “Now in speaking like this, it …show more content…
This included the distinct use of figurative language. King himself said, “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.” Many metaphors were used in King’s speech and as a result, he engaged the audience. By using metaphors, King highlighted his important ideas. In his case, the use of metaphors was a helpful key element to his persuasive speech. On the other hand, when X said, “These 22 million victims are waking up. Their eyes are coming open.” he was taking a different approach on persuading his audience. He used phrases with very literal meanings that helped the audience see his points more clearly. This way, his words could not be questionable to their meanings, rather they are very clearly and vividly presented to his audience. Both King and X used different styles of persuading their