Everywhere they went they were being treated unfairly: laughed at, mocked, spit on, discriminated against. Another example of word choice used in this essay was the line, "The African American lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity" (King 616). Here he describes segregation and discrimination as a lonely island, and I believe it was. This goes back to the thesis by stating that African Americans had no chance to benefit from society at that time, they had little if any opportunities, and they were alone. There was so much to offer in the world, a vast ocean, as King calls it. Yet they didn't have a chance to take advantage of any of it due to discrimination. Lastly, another example of word choice used in this essay is the line, "We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence" (King 617). King was not a violent man. He wanted to stand up for himself and other African Americans, but not if it ended in violence. He didn't want to stoop to the discriminators level, and join in the violence happening. He may have been upset, disgusted, and angry with the way he and his fellow African Americans were being treated, but he would never cause a fight. That emphasizes the thesis stating, every person no matter what race should live together equally and peacefully without any violence.
Another successful method that King makes use of in this essay is the elements of style, examples and italics. The one example that stuck out to me the most was when he states that; "In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check" (King 616). That check that the African Americans were cashing was a promise which every American was guaranteed. The agreement that all men would be given the definite right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (617). King believed that promise was being withheld from him and his race.