Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used pathos, ethos, and logos to reach his audience and explain to them the pain that comes from segregation during a difficult time in civil rights history. The letter was written as a response to several critics that were white religious leaders of the South. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. started out by using pathos to connect to the readers emotions. He explained the difficulty that one must go through on a daily basis as a colored individual. For example, Dr. King had to explain to his daughter why she can not go to a new amusement park because it is not opened to those that are colored and she does not understand because of her age and innocence.
In MLK’s famous letter from Birmingham Jail and “I Have a Dream”, he uses different types of persuasive arguments such as appealing logic as well as charging his language to affect people’s emotions. Although Dr. King uses mostly pathos in the letter from Birmingham Jail, he still uses facts and evidence to support his claims. By appealing to both the logical and emotional side of people Dr. King provides good reasons to join the fight for African American rights and the end to segregation. Despite using mostly charged language aimed at people who play more the moral side of life than the people who play more to the logical side of life, Dr. King still states strong evidence about the injustices African Americans face daily.
Martin Luther King Jr is an incredible writer and speaker which did help him when he was in the civil rights act to end the segregation of African Americans and white people. In king’s famous works such as his “I Have A Dream” speech and his “Letter From Birmingham Jail” King discusses his want to the end of segregation through the means of persuasion. By doing this he uses two types of persuasive appeals, logos(using a clear line of reasoning supported by evidence, and pathos (using loaded or charged language and other devices to arouse emotions) in King’s coordination towards each texts targeted speech and audience. King uses both of these appeals excellently and is not exactly better at one than the other mainly because of the target audience and occasion these texts are represented by. Let the rest of essay explain to you as to why this is.
By using rhetorical devices and appeals such as pathos and ethos, Martin Luther King Jr. successfully convinces the clergymen to understand his cause against racial injustice and persuades them not to interfere with his plans in his 1963 “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” His eloquent writing and skillful use of multiple techniques are what make the message of his letter so impactful. King’s use of pathos and ethos makes the audience more inclined to agree with King’s cause and trust him as a person. Using ethos, King (1963) states his position as the “president of the Southern Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia,” (p. 1).
In these texts, King effectively persuades his audiences using pathos and logos. In Martin Luther King Jr. – “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he captures both pathos and logos. Dr. King
King uses Pathos in his " I Have a Dream '' speech to make people believe there is hope for Racial Equality. He uses pathos when he states, “The negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination ” (King 261). In this quote, Dr.king explains that black people are still suffering from racial inequality. This is an example of pathos because after the five score years passed black people were still getting persecuted. Dr.king’s use of pathos in the example proves that he can make people believe that there is hope for racial equality.
In DR.King's famous speech that was spoken in the shadow of the Lincoln monument was one of the greatest speeches ever given. In this speech he is caught using what is called pathos appealing to the listener's emotions and less so using logos giving information that proves a point with data and logic. This leads me to the conclusion that he uses pathos better and I think that he knew this too because you can see he uses this in his most important speeches or letters as it helps get support for his cause. In his ¨I Have a Dream¨ speech Dr king says things like ¨one hundred years later the Negro still is not free one hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination¨
King uses pathos to tap into his audience’s mind to think about the importance of promoting action now rather than waiting for others to promote it first. He ends his letter by stating that he “hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation”. (King Jr., p. 658) Dr. King is a man of great integrity and love. He wanted to bring his fellow brother and sister together as a nation strong and not divided.
“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”, is the name of the final speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, at Mason Temple on April, 3, 1968. The speech motivates listeners to fight against social injustice even at the darkest of times, and to push forward until the light can shine through even the darkest of areas. MLK uses imagery, simile, and antithesis to get his points across to the audience without having it obvious and bland. As well as to get the audience to pay more attention and pull them into what is stated.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader in the Civil Rights movement, the son and grandson of a minister, and one heck of a letter writer. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. In his tear-jerking, mind-opening letter, King manages to completely discredit every claim made by the clergymen while keeping a polite and formal tone. Metaphors, allusions, and rhetorical questions are used in the most skillful way to support his argument and ultimately convince his audience of the credibility behind his emotional, yet factual, claims.
Martin Luther King Jr. was an important figure in gaining civil rights throughout the 1960’s and he’s very deserving of that title as seen in both his “I Have a Dream” speech and his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” letter. In both of these writings Dr. King uses logos - logical persuasion - and pathos - emotional appeal - to change the opinions of people who were for segregation and against civil rights. Although King was arrested for a nonviolent protest, he still found a way to justify his actions with the use of logos and pathos. MLK uses both ways to gain the attention and agreement of the audience but, he uses pathos not just more, but in a more relatable way in order to appeal to his audience.
In the two stories written by Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have A Dream”, and “Letter From Birmingham Jail” were two stories that truly impacted history. These two readings talk about one being about King Jr. tell his speech on the footsteps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., about him having a dream, where blacks and whites can unite. In both writings by King Jr., mostly in his “I Have A Dream” speech, King Jr. uses a lot of persuasive techniques, mostly pathos.
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave us one of one of the most rhetorically moving speeches ever given. Titled as the “I Have a Dream Speech,” he read this speech to the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. As a civil right mover he gave this great speech to all Americans (black and white) so that he could give off the idea of equality on the same level. Because of his crowd of mix races King made sure to make his speech imploring to all no matter what the race that they may be. He uses metaphorical imagery, powerful diction,and symbolism to create an impact on the audience.
During the era of the civil rights movements in the 60s, among the segregation, racism, and injustice against the blacks, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial to deliver one of the greatest public speeches for freedom in that decade. In Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech he effectively uses ethos, diction and powerful metaphors to express the brutality endured by African American people. Yet his most important method of reaching his audience, and conveying his enduring message of equality and freedom for the whole nation was his appeal to pathos. With these devices, King was able to move thousands of hearts and inspire the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Opening his speech Martin Luther King Jr. sets up his credibility with his use of ethos, referring to the Declaration of Independence saying, “This note was a promise that all men… would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life.”
At the 1963 March on Washington, American Baptist minister and activist Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of his most famous speeches in history on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the height of the African American civil rights movement. King maintains an overall passionate tone throughout the speech, but in the beginning, he projected a more urgent, cautionary, earnest, and reverent tone to set the audience up for his message. Towards the end, his tone becomes more hopeful, optimistic, and uplifting to inspire his audience to listen to his message: take action against racial segregation and discrimination in a peaceful manner. Targeting black and white Americans with Christian beliefs, King exposes the American public to the injustice
