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Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis

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In history, there is the oppressor and the oppressed. It is absurd for those oppressed to believe that out of sheer pity the oppressors will free them from their toils. Therefore, it is common sense to believe that those oppressed must fight for their freedom. Civil rights advocate, Martin Luther King, addresses this subject in his “Letter From Birmingham Jail” saying, “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed.” Other freedom advocates such as Henry David Thoreau in his essay, “On The Duty of Civil Disobedience” are in agreement with King. Aswell, not only in writing but also in action are King’s beliefs concurred. Images such as Tank Man hail civil disobedience by the oppressed. Whether via …show more content…

Thoreau not only encourages civil rebellion, he glorifies it. For starters, his title could be an argument in and of itself. “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience”. Thoreau and King share the same commanding tone. King saying, “it must be demanded”. Whereas Thoreau calls civil disobedience a “duty”. Both indicate that civil rebellion is not compulsory, it is a necessity. Throughout his essay, Thoreau only further builds on that idea. He makes his standards clear, stating that in the face of an oppressive government, it is by all means the responsibility of those under said government to revolt against it. He even goes as far as to simplify his speech to assure that everyone thoroughly comprehends his views; creating an analogy saying, “If you are cheated out of a single dollar by your neighbor, you do not rest satisfied with knowing that you are cheated, or with saying that you are cheated, or even with petitioning him to pay you your due; but you take effectual steps at once to obtain the full amount, and see that you are never cheated again.” In other words saying, if you are taken advantage of, do not turn a blind eye and hope the situation mends itself, rather, pursue the one who took advantage of you and ensure it never happens again. In addition, Thoreau uses parallel structure saying, “you do not rest satisfied with knowing… with saying… or even

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The essay Civil Disobedience, written by Henry David Thoreau has a history with Thoreau’s own experiences. Thoreau spent a night in prison for not paying his poll taxes where he was inspired to write the essay and with this essay Thoreau aspired to proclaim against the acts of slavery and the Mexican War. a.“It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate”().

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f one followed the similarities of King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," they would notice that King may have been somewhat influenced by Thoreau's essay. The two essays also have many differences that are evident throughout analysis of the two essays that divide individual interpretation of each text. But it is obvious that the overall purpose of these two essays is to persuade the audiences that civil disobedience is necessary if there is social injustice in the government that governs over people.

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In paragraph 2, King writes, “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: (1) Collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive; (2) Negotiation; (3) Self-purification; and (4) Direct action” in a formal structure to explain the steps he and his followers had taken and establishes that he does not want

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This is a more powerful way of gaining the audience’s attention, rather than attacking them and forcing his ideas towards them. He continues to explain that all the necessary steps to end injustice nonviolently have already been taken in Birmingham and have not worked. This continues to draws out the shock and pity from the audience. King uses many historical people as back up for the use of his method of civil disobedience.

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Additionally, both King and Thoreau advocate for nonviolent resistance as a means to challenge injustice. Thoreau’s call for passive resistance, shown through his statement that "if a thousand men were not to pay their tax bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure," aligns with King’s emphasis on nonviolent direct action as a powerful tool for social change. This shared belief underscores the importance of peaceful protest and its effectiveness in changing society, reminding us how important civil disobedience is in seeking justice and equality. Now let's focus on the differences, despite their shared commitment to civil disobedience, King and Thoreau's writings not only differ in their focus points but also in the way they convey different tones in their writings. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is infused with a fervent and passionate tone, reflective of his deeply personal experiences with racial discrimination and

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