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Alliteration In Letter From Birmingham Jail

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Through unexpected ways, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. creates an eye-opening letter. King does this in, Letter from Birmingham Jail, as he responds to the clergymen who sent him a letter against his peaceful protests that took place in Birmingham, Alabama. The author appeals to ethos, pathos, and alliteration adding credibility and emotion to his argument claiming that peaceful protests combatting racial segregation are needed. To strengthen his argument, Dr. King first established his credibility by appealing to ethos. One example of ethos that develops his argument in the Letter from Birmingham Jail is, “So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here” (Paragraph 3). Through this quote, Dr. King confirms his location in Birmingham by stating that his organization is the reason for protesting in Alabama. This shows he is acting as a professional, serious, and respectful man and he is not there randomly or radically. …show more content…

An example in the text would be, “Isn't his like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock?” (Paragraph 26). This quote uses alliteration by repeating “Isn't this” through rhetorical questions providing an example of logic. The result of mentioning real-world scenarios and backward logic relates his cause to others who have been wrongfully convicted. He states that one can not blame an individual simply because they are fighting for their rights, in his case

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