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Chapter Summary Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter

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1. In the beginning of Martin Luther King Jr’s letter, King peacefully defends himself against the accusations of eight white clergymen. The main purpose of paragraphs one through four is to present King’s defense. This section is also included so that King can explain his actions and establish his credibility with his audience. When constructing his justification, King begins by saying, “I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms” (800). When stating his defense, he addresses the clergymen who have criticized him. On page 800, King writes, “But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will…” Towards the end of this section, King appears to be addressing white moderates as a whole. In order to build confidence and trust with his audience, King …show more content…

Through his use of language and imagery, King is able to draw an emotional response from his audience. In paragraph fourteen, King paints a picture for his readers regarding African-American segregation. To begin, King states, “When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim…” (803). Shortly after, King describes of an event involving the refusal of a little girl’s entry into a public amusement park. King later reveals to his readers that this decision was based solely on the color of the child’s skin. King is able to provide his audience with a proper vision of the intensity involving racial segregation through the experiences of African-Americans nationwide. He goes on to use a testimony from a young child in order to impact his readers. Kings describes, “when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking, ‘Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?’” (803). Through these depictions, King attempts to gain sympathy from his audience. In my personal opinion, I believe that King is successful in his attempt to make his readers feel empathetic towards his

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JoAnna Guzman AP English Period 4 Mrs. Solis 5 February 2018 Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. letter “ Letter from Birmingham Jail” was a response to eight Alabama clergymen of 1963. The clergymen had accused King of being an “outsider” and interfering with the racial issues of the community of Birmingham. When writing in response to the eight clergymen from Alabama Martin Luther King Jr. uses the rhetorical device of historical and biblical allusions.

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In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.

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Yet, Dr. King writes to justify his methods behind the burgeoning civil rights movement. First and foremost, he fiercely defends the non-violent direct-action campaigns he’s inspired, but he also delves into the why the fight for racial equality is a timely and personal one. Not only does he mention personal experiences, “when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: ‘Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?’” (King paragraph 14) but also talks about tragedies that have happened to others, such as “when you [see] vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim” (King paragraph 14). King’s letter is intended to rally people of all races toward his cause, while Head seems to have a more resigned position, accepting her fate and simply relieving herself of her sorrows through her writing.

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While in solitary confinement for nearly 8 days, reverend and social justice activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to the criticism he received for his non-violent protests. Several clergy who negatively critiqued King’s approach of seeking justice, wrote A Call for Unity, arguing that his protests were senseless and improper. Within the article, the clergymen provide nine different critiques that asserted how King’s protest are invalid, uneffective, and simply unintelligent in the fight for obtaining justice and equity for individuals of color. His letter has become one of the most profound pieces of literature of the 20th century, as King uses vivid examples and eloquent rhetorical devices to counter all nine arguments.

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Dr. King later in the document expresses disappointment in the white moderates and the church for their roundabout methods

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King uses biblical allusions to appeal to the eight white clergymen and their religious affiliation when he states his duty to carry the “gospel of freedom beyond his home town... Like Paul.” His final point of this section is the clergymen’s failure to recognize the underlying causes of the demonstrations they so harshly condemn, a failure causing further ignorance and confusion on racial

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King follows the rest of the letter with more emotional cries, which included the split that had formed within the black community, on the argument of civil rights; Some had begun to settle for segregation, including some of the clergymen who had criticized King. Near the end, he opposes the clergymen's praise toward the Birmingham Police Department, by providing a vivid description of the attack on himself and his fellow protesters, leading up to his arrest. MLK closes his letter by stating his current situation, apologizing for the letter's length, and portraying a deep sense of pity, as he wishes for all to find faith for a better future. Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham City Jail makes heavy use of ethos and logos to clarify issues and concerns from his criticizers, but relies even more on the emotional connection that it portrays on the reader.

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Civil rights leader and social activist Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a world renown correspondence, Letter From Birmingham Jail, in April of 1963, during a time when segregation was at it’s peak in the South. When King was making his mark in American history, the United States was experiencing great social unrest due to the injustice towards their colored citizens, which would lead to social rights rallies and unnecessary violence. In response to King’s peaceful protesting, the white community viewed “[his] nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist,” and subsequently imprisoned the pastor (para 27). King specifically wrote to the white clergymen who had earlier addressed a letter to him as to why he was apprehended, in which they argued that his actions were untimely and unconstitutional. In response, King emphasized that justice is never timely, and the refusal to acknowledge equal rights was inhumane and regressive.

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We live in a world with currently many conflicts from the racial disparity in high incarceration rates to gun violence and the war over gun rights. In his letter, King describes that Black Americans have no identity and that the oppressed cannot remain oppressed forever. King implies that they cannot be told to “wait for justice” because if they simply

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Early in the letter Martin Luther King Jr. defends

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He places the strong authority of the declaration on his side to show how the American people are in contradiction to their own “sacred obligation” and the Negros have gotten a “bad check.” A metaphor representing the unfulfilled promise of human rights for the African Americans. King skillfully evokes an emotional response from all races with the use of religion: “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” By doing this he finds a common ground that brings black and whites closer with a common belief in God they share, as well as the mention of

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Discuss Dr. King’s use of restraint in the “Letter”. What does it reveal about his purpose, and what is its effect? - Throughout his career, many critics have argued that Dr. King has been too deferential to the white authorities that have made segregation and other racial policies. The tone reveals his purpose of justifying his cause as being in the name of justice. The restraint also lets him reinforce the connection of men and that all men are responsible for others.

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A majority of the 13 and 14th paragraph contain a sorrowful emotion. King uses such heart wrenching examples such as when he talks about mothers and fathers getting lynched and brothers and sisters getting drowned. These examples are definitely the most persuasive technique in the 13 and 14th paragraph as you would imagine your father, mother, sister, and brother suffering these for absolutely no reason. King shows how bad it is for the children as he tell the audience about having to answer a six-year-old girl why they can go to “funtown” or answer to a five-year-old boy about why white people are so mean. He uses children because they are young and innocent and having to live such a rough life.

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The intro to King's book can be split into three individual sections, each having its own meaning. The first describes the poor living conditions for a black boy and a black girl. In the following section, King reminds the audience of

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“...when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness”- then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.” (MLK, 276). King uses this strong sense of appeal to emotion to engross his readers and let them know how hard it is for them.

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