Malcolm X's Freedom Speech

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Malcolm X was one of the most awe-inspiring orators of the twentieth century. Using his oratory skills, Malcolm X gave a speech called "Prospects for Freedom in 1965", with the goal of educating the Caucasian audience about the plight of the Afro-American while serving as an almost rallying-cry to prepare his fellow Afro-American brothers and sisters for the harsh realities of the upcoming year. The paper describes the plethora of rhetorical devices used by Malcolm X in this speech, such as rhetorical questions, repetitions, colloquialistic expressions, logos, pathos and ethos.

From the Paper:

"Yet another example of Malcolm's desire to effectively communicate with his audience is in the form of his use of repetition, which can be defined as "the repeated use of the same word or word pattern".("Repetition") Throughout the entire discourse, many themes, motifs and words reappear so that he can stress and emphasize the certain themes and ideas. For example, within the introductory paragraphs, Malcolm constantly expresses "it's my [his] third time here" (X 147). This is an attempt to force the fact that he is a competent and experienced speaker."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Colloquial." Merriam Webster. 9 Feb. 2008 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colloquial>.
• "Repetition." 9 Feb. 2008 <http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/repetition.htm>.
• "Rhetorical Question." The UVic's Writer's Guide. 1995. University of Victoria. 9 Feb. 2008 <http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/RhetRhetQuestion.html>.
• X, Malcolm. "Prospects for Freedom in 1965." Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements. Ed. George Breitman. New York: Grove P, 1965. 147-156.

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