Martin Luther King Jr.'s "The Instinct of the Drum Major" speech was a sermon delivered at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 4, 1968. During the time of the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong supporter of the Movement. Dr. King's speeches are known for his use of words and the central statement that goes beyond them. Analyzing Dr. King's speech “The Drum Major Instinct” for central statement and rhetorical appeal helps the reader understand Dr. King's writing in greater detail. In Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech “The Instinct of the Drum Major” he develops his point using rhetorical appeals explaining how a large ego causes prejudice due to praise, superiority, and fractions in a congregation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, a big ego can lead to prejudice through praise. According to the speech, Dr. King says that “you like to be praised. In fact, everyone likes it." Start by stating the facts that people want and love to be praised. Use facts to begin explaining what causes the onset of a big ego. Dr. King goes further in his speech by stating that “the most damaging aspect of all this. What the ego does to the personality.” and says, "If it's not tormented, you'll end up trying day after day to deal with your ego problem by boasting." Dr. King says people will brag about something so they will be praised. Now start explaining how praise turns into ego and ego into bragging about being the best at something. The evidence supports Dr. King's assertion that excessive ego leads to bias resulting from praise. Second, the ego causes prejudice resulting from superiority. He states, “You know that much of the racial problem arises from the drum major instinct” and that it is the “need that some people have to feel superior.” He says the question to allow the listener to pause, then explains that instinct makes people feel superior. In this quote he says that from the ego we move on to the problem of superiority. He even goes further by stating, “A need that some people have to feel that they are first and to feel that their white skin has ordained them to be first.” The quote says that white people feel superior because they want to be first and they feel that being white means they are superior. The text tells that from a big ego causes prejudice and from the drum major instinct makes them want to be first. This evidence reinforces Dr. King's claim that a large ego leads to prejudice due to superiority. Finally, a large ego causes prejudice on the part of a faction in a congregation. In his prison speech, Dr. King asked “how much the white jailers made” and replied, “They should march with us. You are as poor as the blacks." The text tells us that despite prejudice against blacks, some whites are paid as much as blacks. The quote shows that there is more than prejudice against blacks but also against other whites. He goes on to say, “You are put in the position of supporting your oppressor, because because of prejudice and blindness, you fail to see that the same forces that oppress Negroes in American society oppress poor whites.” The quote highlights the fact that ideas of prejudice against other ethnic groups still exist among whites. The quote says that in a white congregation they use the same prejudice in society for poor whites. The evidence further supports Dr. King's claim that a.