Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written by Martin Luther King Jr when he was suffering unusual harsh conditions in the Birmingham jail, and it was sent to several clergymen who had written an open letter criticizing the actions of King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In the letter, King told the clergymen that he was upset about their criticisms, and that he wished to address their concerns by discussing about the inequality existing in the contemporary society and the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism. As a revelatory letter, it leads readers to recognize the fact that they have the right and responsibility to break unjust laws and take more direct actions rather than waiting potentially forever for justice to

In many cases, problem-solution texts tend to be more argumentative and evaluative, so readers can easily figure out the reason behind the author’s arguments. One of the first steps to writing a problem-solution essay is to identify the problem that will be discussed. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King concerned the situation and problems which African Americans were confronted with in that era. He wrote that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” That is, injustice is the issue King was concerned about. Later, King wrote that “It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.” In other words, King pointed out the seriousness of the harm caused by the injustice in society. After King demonstrated the situations and issues in society, he provided four steps of nonviolent solutions: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. In this case, King masterly applied the structure that pointed out the issues and provided the arguments as

After discussing solutions, expanding the essay about the topic can strengthen writer’s argument. Moreover, expanding essay is not giving questions or solutions, but giving more information to readers to thinking about the topic. The next topic that King mentions in letter is about white moderates, who have disappointed King. King considered that white moderates always value “order” over “justice,” and, as a result, their behavior has made the injustice of segregation has the chance to persist. King believed that moderates cannot distinguish between the nonviolent action and the violence of the oppressors. And then, he next listed a second disappointment, in the white church. Though he once expected the Southern church to be one of his movement’s primary allies, they have time and again either opposed his cause of remaining “silent”, therefore facilitating injustice. Numerous white church leaders have considered Civil Rights as a social movement which is irrelevant to their church. Though these disappointments made King pessimistic, he found some hope in a few whites who have joined in his mission. Further, King found optimism when reflecting on the history of blacks in America. They have survived slavery and persisted towards freedom despite centuries of atrocities, and have in fact provided the center of American history. Even though King did not provide any questions or answers in this part,