Honors Theses
Date of Award
1-1-2012
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
First Advisor
Ronald A. Schroeder
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
MACK-ARTHUR TURNER, JR: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMON LANGUAGE: A CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THOMAS PAINE'S COMMON SENSE AND REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING'S LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL )
People are different in several ways; however, we are also share many similarities. For example, we all have ways in which we can communicate others. One of the problems in communicating is connecting with one's intended audience. The way that people construct their ideas and convey them could be effective based on the audiences' ability to understand, interpret, and react. In this paper, I examine the way in which many powerful and influential American leaders have used a particular form of communication to inspire the masses. I analyze the way in which two powerful figures, Thomas Paine and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., use a form of common language to connect with certain audiences oftheir time and even now.
After analyzing the authors' text, Common Sense and Letterfrom a Birmingham Jail, I conclude that the language that they incorporate into their text is neither simple nor falls within the binary framework of elevated language or less elevated language, but is rooted in a third form of communication that I identify as Common Language. In the conclusion I identify the three essential characteristics ofCommon Language: nationalism, religion, and labor.
Recommended Citation
Turner, Mack Arthur Jr., "The Effectiveness of Common Language: A Contextual Analysis of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and Rev. Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail" (2012). Honors Theses. 2794.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2794
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