John Steinbeck and Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK ​​​​Jr.) both entered American literature as among the most influential authors, but why? Steinbeck was an influential author throughout the 20th century with works in many genres. On the other hand, Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader in the fight against racial discrimination. In order to better understand the style of these two authors, it is necessary to compare them on the basis of repetition, tone, and purpose. In his essay “Is the American Dream Still Possible?” ", Steinbeck used repetition for the sole purpose of emphasizing that America is and always will be one. As a people, we are similar in the overarching paradoxical themes for which he then set the scene with "One of the most often noted generalities about Americans is that we are a restless, dissatisfied, searching people" ( Steinbeck page 1). Each generality that follows either builds on the previous one or cancels what has already been said. One after another, he used “we” to begin his sentences, not only drawing the audience in, but also making them feel both the pride and shame associated with each idea, which he then listed. Whether true or not, simply through force, he made the public feel a sense of inclusion in the ridiculous notions about our nation. Martin Luther King, Jr. achieved something similar in his “I Have a Dream” speech; however using repetition with several different words and expressions. While his audience was very clearly America's African American population, MLK Jr. was able to use this repetition to make each reader feel like they were with him in the fight for freedom. In paragraph 13, MLK Jr. repeated middle of paper...... Jr. relented and said, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We let us hold these truths to be self-evident, namely that all men are created equal. » Although John Steinbeck and Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote on essentially different topics, they both employed similar methods to gain a foothold in their readers. 'brains. Each author has taken advantage of the capacity of repetition to drive an idea into human consciousness. Steinbeck repeated the beginning of his sentences and emphasized his subject: the American population. MLK Jr. repeated entire phrases and sentences, instead emphasizing his points. Additionally, the tone each author used affected how the audience received these points. Ultimately, by manipulating repetition and tone, they were able to achieve their individual goals in much the same way..