"Obama's Speech at Selma, 2015" by Barack Obama We are Sojourner Truth and Fannie Lou Hamer, women who could do as much as any man and then some. And we’re Susan B. Anthony, who shook the system until the law reflected that truth. That is our character. We’re the immigrants who stowed away on ships to reach these shores, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free –- Holocaust survivors, Soviet defectors, the Lost Boys of Sudan. We’re the hopeful strivers who cross the Rio Grande because we want our kids to know a better life. That’s how we came to be. We’re the slaves who built the White House and the economy of the South. We’re the ranch hands and cowboys who opened up the West, and countless laborers who laid rail, and raised skyscrapers, and organized for workers’ rights. We’re the fresh-faced GIs who fought to liberate a continent. And we’re the Tuskeegee Airmen, and the Navajo code-talkers, and the Japanese Americans who fought for this country even as their own liberty had been denied.

Question

In this passage, President Obama uses allusion for what purpose?

A. In this passage, President Obama uses allusion for what purpose?
B. to contrast supporters of freedom with those who oppose it
C. to argue that the current moment in history is unique
D. to highlight the diversity of the nation’s citizens

Answer 1

In this passage, President Obama uses allusion primarily for the purpose of:

D. to highlight the diversity of the nation’s citizens.

He references various historical figures and groups, illustrating the many different kinds of people who have contributed to and shaped American identity and values. This emphasizes the rich tapestry of experiences and backgrounds that make up the nation.