Question

Read the body paragraph from Paola’s rhetorical analysis essay of Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream” speech.

By comparing the Constitution to an uncashed check, King successfully communicates his point that the US has not fulfilled its promises to citizens of color. "In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. . . . It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.” In using the analogy of a bad check, King provides a familiar framework that his listeners understand. This framework illustrates the US government’s failure to fulfill its promises to all of its people. King uses the image of a check to show that freedom and civil rights are tangible, concrete things that each American is due.

Which revision would most improve the body paragraph?

rewriting the topic sentence to establish a clearer connection to the thesis statement
providing examples of analogies and how they support King’s argument
using a smoother transition to the quotation to create a focused line of reasoning
adding more explanations of the analogy of a bad check to ensure that it is specific

Answer 1

adding more explanations of the analogy of a bad check to ensure that it is specific

Explanation: the paragraph restates the metaphor but stays general. Expanding the analysis—e.g., explaining how “promissory note,” “sacred obligation,” and “insufficient funds” connote legal/financial promises, moral duty, and the consequences of denial—would make the rhetorical effect clearer and strengthen the paragraph’s analysis.