Chapter Summary Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter

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

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