Analysis Of Ignorance Isn 'T Bliss' By Martin Luther King Jr

Ignorance Isn't Bliss While sitting in his jail cell after being arrested for constructing a nonviolent protest in Birmingham, civil rights activist Martin Luther King Junior writes a letter to the white clergymen who had critiqued his ways of protest. Throughout his letter, King addresses all the clergymen’s comments but one in particular seems strongly emphasized. This is the thought that King and his protests are extreme. Taken by that comment, King devotes a section of his letter to defend himself from that particular statement. Through metaphors, ironic statements, and parallel structure, King is able to convey to his fellow ministers that they are wrong for believing that any of his actions are violent or negatively extreme. Also, he

In this statement, King knows that the clergymen are viewing this negatively, however he wants to show how even with a comment so disappointing, he will stay calm and collected. Not only just with his words, but this self-control represents how he works his protests. No matter how much violence and negativity he endures from the other side, he will always remain a non-violent activist. Not only was that the reason for his positive turn around, but King also wanted to address that there are two kinds of extremist and he isn’t the one that they are convinced that he is. Being an extremist seems like an insult on the surface, and much of the time it is, but he wanted to show them that although his beliefs are so strong and so powerful just like the beliefs of an extremist are, he will never commence violence to get his views across to others. This demonstration of self-control represents that instead of being a violent irrational extremist, he is a rational extremist for

Was not Amos an extremist for justice: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Was not Martin Luther an extremist: “Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God.” (31). Next, King uses a similar parallel structure to continue his list of positive extremists,“And John Bunyan: “I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.” And Abraham Lincoln: “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.” And Thomas Jefferson: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. . . .””(31). King includes these parallel structures so that his examples can stand out and be remembered well in the reader's mind. He wants them to be stuck in their brain because they are all reliable sources and he has many of them. It is easier to be persuasive when there are lots of examples to support the claim. To add on, the first example King uses is about Jesus. This comes as no surprise because he wants them to not only notice his examples but he