Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis

During the mid-20th century, black individuals faced severe discrimination and injustice across America. However, the year 1954 proved to be a pivotal moment for the African-American community, as it marked the inception of the Civil Rights Movement. This peaceful movement, aimed at eliminating discriminatory segregation practices in the United States, was led by the distinguished civil rights advocate, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In the text “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, King utilizes metaphors, an appeal to pathos, faulty logic, loaded language, repetition, and antithesis to inspire the audience to support King’s effort of eradicating racial segregation.

One way that King inspires his audience to support his

Through this paragraph, King expresses his concerns regarding the prevalent racial discrimination in Birmingham, and highlights how the term "outsiders" is used by his fellow clergymen to refer to him and other black people. King quotes “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. For years, King had been advocating against segregation, with the hope that people would eventually acknowledge their mistakes and bring about change. The use of faulty logic served to raise awareness of the problems in Birmingham and sway individuals to join King on a journey in ending racial segregation. King also states “Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states.” The effect of this technique is to influence the audience and further enhance King’s ideologies. This helps support’s King’s idea of overall unity. The idea of “whatever occurs to one person, affects everyone”, ties in with King’s claim on unity and will persuade the audience to support his cause further. The audience will feel obligated to take action after hearing that it may affect “everyone”. With the use of faulty reasoning and connotations, King is able to persuade the audience into believing in his ideas of ending segregation in the

MLK Jr. discusses the oppression that has been occurring for years and how his fellow black people are attempting to fight this harmful practice. King states “So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides—and try to understand why he must do so.” King employs the technique of repetition to convey the ongoing struggle to eliminate racial segregation in Birmingham. Through this device, he highlights the importance of the fight against racial discrimination. This approach helps inspire the audience to join King's cause and work towards the eradication of racial segregation. King also quotes “Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained.” Through the use of antithesis, King conveys the perspectives of black and white individuals on the ideas of racial segregation. He is attempting to illustrate the idea that rights should be equal to every citizen and that white people are the root of this segregational problem. By reminding the audience that freedom is a birthright, the audience will be persuaded to fight for what is morally right and help end this ongoing conflict between black and white individuals. By using the rhetorical techniques of repetition and antithesis, King is able to convince his audience to fight