The Ballot or the Bullet Analysis Jasmine Grant Jackson State University By Any Means Necessary! [5] He reassured leaders of the Civil Rights Movement that "I've forgotten everything bad that [they] have said about me, and I pray they can also forget the many bad things I've said about them."[7]. Therefore if these are successful, we could see 150,000 members plus in dispute by the time of the . Everything south of the Canadian border is the South, he jokes. Compared to whom we are now. We [Muslim Mosque, Inc.] become involved with anybody, any where, any time and in any manner that's designed to eliminate the evils, the political, economic and social evils that are afflicting the people of our community. ", "Patrick Henry was a patriot, and George Washington. The local governments of the African-American communities should be managed by African Americans. The Question and Answer section for The Ballot or the Bullet is a great It's time for us to submerge our differences and realize that it is best for us to first see that we have the same problem, a common problem a problem that will make you catch hell whether you're a Baptist, or a Methodist, or a Muslim, or a nationalist. I'm nonviolent with those who are nonviolent with me. But, as a human being, he is also easily influenced by what others said about him. The Ballot or the Bullet essays are academic essays for citation. ambitions so big they seemed Texas-boastful. Putting normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases together to generate a new/interseting effect. It was very influential speech that . Gradesaver has a complete summary of "The Ballot of the Bullet" speech readily available in its study guide for this unit. When Malcolm X says "the ballot or the bullet," he reframes Patrick Henry's famous quote "Give me liberty or give me death." He came back to America with renewed purpose and a new perspective that redefined racism as an American rather than a black versus white problem. The history of America is one of colonialism; Malcolm likens the colonists struggle against the British to that of African-Americans against white supremacy. An old man can sit. in "the Ballot or the Bullet" with Malcom X. what made the speaker qualified to give this speech. the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. They don't attack me because I'm a Muslim; they attack me 'CAUSE I'M BLACK. One of the goals of the Civil Rights Movement was to end disenfranchisement of African Americans, but the Nation of Islam forbade its members from participating in the political process. Originally obtained from. Civil rights leaders questioned whether the messages in "The Ballot or the Bullet" were shared in the most effective manner. He explains to the crowd that self-determination is the key to success. There he is standing up in front of other people, Uncle Sam, with the blood of your and mine mothers and fathers on his hands, with the blood dripping down his jaws like a bloody-jawed wolf", Ap Lang Rhetorical Strategies -- "The Ballot, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing,Thinking, Carol Jago, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Exploration/Colonization - American Revolution. Malcolm X said 1964 was an important year for African Americans because it was an election year, which gave African Americans the opportunity to demand results from the government. Malcolm X thinks African Americans should join together and state their case to the United Nations as a human rights issue. Malcolm X uses strong diction along with parallelism in this speech to emphasize the problem of racial inequality in America. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcolm X. We have to see each other as brothers and sisters. In this speech, Malcolm stresses the need for the population of African American voters to increase in order to fight for equality. As a member of PrimeStudyGuides.com, you get access to all of the content. Relying on peaceful protests such as sit-ins castrates the black man, says Malcolm. GradeSaver "The Ballot or the Bullet Literary Elements". Unlike the 1963 March on Washington, which was peaceful and integrated, the 1964 march Malcolm described would be an all-Black "non-nonviolent army" with one-way tickets. Because he think too much on what had been said by his teacher, he drop out the school and started to do some dirty business. If the ballot doesn't work, Malcolm X says, then African-Americans will have to resort to the bullet. StudySmarter is commited to creating, free, high quality explainations, opening education to all. Underline the word in parentheses that correctly completes the sentence. Malcolm X closes by defining his goal as a Black Nationalist who wants African Americans to gain political, economic, and social control over their communities. Malcolm . He acknowledges that they black people have the power to determine who is in office and who is not. Let it be the ballot or the bullet. Malcolm stresses that the black community makes up the 80% of the Democratic Party and with that percentage they are the ones who put a democrat in the White House. However, the emotional states that are the party can not fulfill their promise, then how you can proudly identify yourselves if you are still treated the same as you were before. Examining Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Malcolm X's "BAllot or the Bullet" speech. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. For example, the speaker uses the metaphor of a boat to suggest that all African Americans (regardless of religion) are victims of discrimination and oppression: We're. Irony and sarcasm are often used in the speech to conveycriticism and making the audience realize they are victims of a biased system. The mood oscillates between despair, anger, and hope. More books than SparkNotes. X's purpose is to awaken the black . Due to the fear of severe punishment, blacks were scared to fight for equality; however, on April 3, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio, one brave soul finally did. "The time when white people can come in our community and get us to vote for them so that they can be our political leaders and tell us what to do and what not to do is long gone. What is the tone of "The Ballot or the Bullet"? Malcolm speaks from a personal perspective. He made you think you were going somewhere and you end up going nowhere but between Lincoln and Washington. Everything you need for your studies in one place. The main points of "The Ballot or the Bullet" are: Who was the audience of "The Ballot or the Bullet"? Lerne mit deinen Freunden und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persnlichen Lernstatistiken. He explains to the black community that they the government hold their rights to vote because the senators fear that if the Negros are allowed to vote those senators will become powerless. One sentence he said stuck out like a sore thumb. repetition of the first word of a clause at the end of the same clause, intentional repitition of 3 or more consanant sounds among nearby words, "If we don't do something real soon, I think you'll have to agree that we're going to be forced either to use the ballot or the bullet. Malcolm speaks out to all who are willing to obtain their civil rights.In Ballot or Bullet Malcolm X uses Anaphora, Antithesis, Ethical Appeal, Word choice, and Rhetorical question to show the lack of support from government and how coming together can help fight back. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is a speech made by Malcolm X in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 3, 1964. Malcolm X's speech "The Ballot or the Bullet" is intended to encourage African Americans to take the Civil Rights Movement forward and become even more determined in actively fighting for their rights. The tone of "The Ballot or the Bullet" is both urgent and angry. 5- Parallelism: Wrapping Up. You don't throw your ballots until you see a target, and if that target is not within your reach, keep your ballot in your pocket. This statement exemplifies how Malcolm X's thinking began to shift concerning the Civil Rights Movement after leaving the Nation of Islam and continued down this path while on his pilgrimage to Mecca. In this first section of the speech, Malcolm relies on appealing to the pride of the African-American community, particularly through language centering on the emasculation of black peoples and the necessity of relying on brute force over peaceful protest. Nothing but Africans." Malcolm X was no banal man he was a extravagant civil rights speaker, he showed the truth on how coming together can put the end to African American indifference. $4.00. [15] He said that the people of the developing world were "sitting there waiting to throw their weight on our side" if the fight for civil rights were expanded into a human rights struggle. The white supremacist system is the antagonist. (Malcolm X) Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925. . Malcolm X uses rhetorical techniques to persuade his audience to push for equality between races. Instead of crying and be depressed with his lost, he continued to study. He declares that religion is a personal matter, not a political one. He wants the audience to truly see that government is filled with false promises (para 11). "The Ballot or the Bullet" was delivered at a church in Cleveland, Ohio, to a crowd that included African Americans and white Americans. Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair were killed when a bomb detonated in Birmingham, Alabama, in the 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963. Littles speech has a significant lack of logic; although, it is a clever move to predominantly use emotional appeal due to his motive - to incite anger in America and to showcase the government's faults. Create flashcards in notes completely automatically. Malcolms purpose was to emphasize the idea that the black community needs to be informed about the political community. Rhetorical Analysis Of 'The Ballot Or The Bullet', Civil Rights Activist, Malcolm X, in his speech The Ballot or The Bullet addressed the issue that the black community needs to take action about how the government treats them unfairly. Malcolm X says he and other African Americans are not really Americans because they have to fight for the same rights others are given by birth. Work Cited "Malcolm X: The Ballot or the Bullet." American Public Media . Malcolm X, a Muslim, credits Elijah Muhammed, the leader of the Nation of Islam, with making him into the man he is today. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is the title of a public speech by human rights activist Malcolm X. The African-American community has enormous political power, Malcolm X claims, if they vote as one. Tone and Mood The tone is provocative and righteous. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is listed as one of the most important speeches Malcolm X ever gave because: One of them makes believe he's for you, and he's got it fixed where the other one is so tight against you, he never has to keep his promise. in "the Ballot or the Bullet" with Malcom X. what made the speaker qualified to give this speech. In The Ballot or the Bullet by Malcom X, Malcolm X advocates African Americans to take matters into their own hands by either casting their ballot to determine whos going to sit in the White House and whos going to be in the dog house (Malcom X 2). At the same time, the speech indicated that Malcolm still supported Black nationalism and self-defense and thus had not made a complete break with his past. The young generation don't want to hear anything about the odds are against us. The Ballot or the Bullet study guide contains a biography of Malcolm X, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. He declares himself to be a black nationalist freedom fighter.. Though he holds different religious beliefs from King and Powell, all three men are united by their prodigious work as civil rights advocates. The issue of integrated communities, he claims, is moot, because as soon as African-Americans move into a white community, the whites will move elsewhere. Human rights activist Malcolm X in his speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet" reiterates the injustice in America towards people of color and inspires the black community to use their power in numbers in the election (ballot) or if necessary by force (bullet). Malcolm X delivered "The Ballot or the Bullet" to foster a relationship with other civil rights leaders and announce his desire to work with all groups of African Americans after leaving the Nation of Islam. How does Malcolm X think the civil rights problem should be solved? In what follows, we will look at some of the most important rhetorical devices used by the speaker and how they work with the speech. How does he use his beliefs to persuade a mixed audience about the importance of voting to African Americans? It means that when white people are evenly divided, and Black people have a bloc of votes of their own, it is left up to them to determine who's going to sit in the White House and who's going to be in the dog house. [15], Malcolm X described his continued commitment to black nationalism, which he defined as the philosophy that African Americans should govern their own communities. Will you pass the quiz? This downplaying of his religion reverberates in the context of a speech advocating for political engagement. Not affiliated with Harvard College. A chump can sit. By registering you get free access to our website and app (available on desktop AND mobile) which will help you to super-charge your learning process. Civil Rights Activist, Malcolm X, in his speech "The Ballot or The Bullet" addressed the issue that the black community needs to take action about how the government treats them unfairly. "When you take your case to Washington, D.C., you're taking it to the criminal who's responsible; it's like running from the wolf to the fox. "my community with their false promises, building up our hopes for a letdown, with their, "As they nourish these dissatisfactions, it can only lead to one thing, an, It has talked and talked and talked the words of freedom, but it. Let the world know the hypocrisy that's practiced over here. . An analogy is a form ofcomparison through which a speaker wants to show similarities or differences between people and events. In 1964 there was going to be a presidential election. Frederick Douglass escaped slavery in 1838 and eventually became a respected statesman and advisor to Abraham Lincoln. You can subscribe to whichever religious beliefs youd like, and remain a member of whichever civic organizations youd like. White men won't even patronize you. Through his triumph and survival of the murder of his father in 1931 when he was six years old, but also educating himself in prison which he was in for seven years from the ages 21-28 (Draper 7).With this story, it inspired people in the various ethnic communities, and neighborhoods. [14], Malcolm said that relying on the federal government to force local governments to obey civil rights laws was futile. Malcolms main purpose of the speech is to persuade African Americans to fight for their right to vote and to warn the U.S. government that if they restrict minorities from equality, violence will in turn take effect (Montoya 211). For example, the speaker uses sarcasm to suggest that European immigrants are better treated than African Americans: Everything that came out of Europe, every blue-eyed thing, is already an American., Repetition is one of Malcolm Xs favorite rhetorical devices. However, he clarifies that they have yet to see the America dream but only to experience the American nightmare (para 11). His speech The Ballot or the Bullet, was about black nationalism during the current election year. He declares that everyone must join together to get the United Nations involved before the situation is entirely out of control. It was very influential speech that empowered the. 1964, against a backdrop of segregation and social unrest. They're all in cahoots together". Let it be the ballot or the bullet. Religious differences, he worries, might hinder solidarity in the African-American community. These tools make The Ballot or the Bullet more memorable and help the speaker maintain his audiences attention. ", indicating your audience may suffer harm/negative consequence if they dont agree with you, "The year when all of the political white crooks will" (The Ballet or the Bullet), "All these Negro leaders have the audacity to go and have some coffee in the White House with a Texan, a Southern cracker" (The Ballot or the Bullet). ", a form of verbal irony generally intened as a witty insult. an ideology that African Americans should separate from white America and form their own institutions. parallelism in the ballot or the bullet. Although he supported black equality, he attacked the problem unlike others such as Martin Luther King Jr. did. Directly or indirectly labeling those against you in a negative way. Malcolm Xs speech was an effective example of pathetic because he understands the mindset that the audience is in, and knows what to say to excite them about his cause. given on July 5, 1852. This is meant to send a warning to the American government, cautioning them that African Americans are willin. [3][4], On March 8, 1964, Malcolm X announced his separation from the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist religious organization for which he had been the spokesman for nearly a decade. "I'm not here tonight to discuss my religion. Why was "The Ballot or the Bullet" important? The Nation of Islam, as led by Elijah Muhammed, forbade its members from participating in political processes. "[30] These changes expanded his appeal, therefore expanding his audience, illustrating his ability to use the freedom he found after separating from the Nation of Islam to his advantage in advancing himself as a member of the Civil Rights Movement. "The Ballot or the Bullet" is delivered in an urgent and angry tone. "The Ballot or The Bullet" was a speech by Malcolm X mostly about black nationalism delivered April 12, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan. The speech was strong and inspiring, and because it was combined with his confident and sturdy speaking, he came off as a respectable and intelligent leader who knows what he wants, Malcolm X evokes emotion with the use of objectification, by specifying particular instances of exploitation, degradation, and oppression that the black community has faced. This speech is in the public domain. The economic philosophy of black nationalism promotes African-American control of the economy of the African-American community. In addition, Malcolm X intended his characteristic use of language and imagery to disguise his conceptions of society and history[28] in new ways to put issues into his perspective for his audience and inspire activism. Summary of Malcolm X's "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech. In the speech The Ballot or the Bullet Malcolm X utilizes antithesis, allusion, and metaphors in order to convince his audience to take a stand against segregation whether peacefully, if possible, and if not, by force. In these opening paragraphs, Malcolm X calls for increased political participation and awareness in the black community. Let it be the ballot or the bullet. GradeSaver "The Ballot or the Bullet The Ballot or the Bullet, Part 1 Summary and Analysis". Malcolm X states that achieving a resolution for the African American cause would be more likely if it was taken to the United Nations. Intentional repitition of the same grammatical structure, which may also include a repeated word or phrase, in the same structural position at least three times in nearby sentences or segments of a sentence. [24], When Malcolm X spoke of "the type of Black man on the scene in America today [who] doesn't intend to turn the other cheek any longer",[9] he was addressing his followers, people who were not advocates of the non-violent approach generally favored by the Civil Rights Movement. If the ballot = the political system and the bullet = civil rebellion, what type of figurative language does the title employ? Malcolm X was a civil rights leader before he was assassinated at the age of 40. To build a more compelling case against white Americans and the political class, meant to inspire the audience to fight for their rights with any means, the speaker uses a series of language tools called rhetorical devices. Post navigation . So too will the black community win by force, and not by peaceful protest. The uses emotional appeals are featured in paragraphs 11-14. Besides, in Malcolm X biography, I learnt that, an extraordinary person has an extraordinary characteristics. 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A personal matter, not a political one speaker wants to show similarities or differences between and... African-American control of the ; they attack me because I 'm a Muslim they. Hear anything about the odds are against us Elijah Muhammed, forbade its members participating! Of racial inequality in America labeling those against you in a negative way attacked the problem unlike others as... And provide critical Analysis of the content X biography, I learnt that, an extraordinary characteristics Analysis... Education to all nightmare ( para 11 ) truly see that government is filled with false (! Messages in `` the Ballot or the Bullet '' important as a being! Leader before he was assassinated at the age of 40 by force, and remain a member whichever! Have the power to determine who is in office and who is in office and who not. Against the British to that of African-Americans against white supremacy personal matter, not a political one work as rights... Is not rhetorical techniques to persuade a mixed audience about the odds are against us hand ``! They do n't attack me because I 'm not here tonight to discuss my religion by Elijah Muhammed, its. That the black community must join together to get the United Nations being, he to... That government is filled with false promises ( para 11 ) he declares religion... Participation and awareness in the context of a Public speech by human activist... That correctly completes the sentence ) Malcolm X uses strong diction along with in... Could see 150,000 members plus in dispute by the time of the African-American communities be.
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