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Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis

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On April 16, 1963, from a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter in response to his activities being labeled "unwise and untimely". He wrote this letter to justify his actions, explain why they were needed, and explained the injustice occurring in Birmingham, Alabama to the clergymen who called his actions "unwise and untimely". He explains to the clergymen that he is there protesting the Jim Crow laws and the racial violence in Alabama. King uses several various rhetorical devices and appeals to argue the point that his actions have not been "unwise and untimely" but have, in fact, been absolutely necessary. At the beginning of his letter, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. claims that he is not an outsider and establishes his credibility through his organizational ties, his biblical duty, and the interrelatedness of America. King contends with being called an outsider by citing his …show more content…

King uses parallel structure and an emotional appeal to refute the clergymen's claim that his actions were "unwise and untimely". Throughout the paragraph, Dr. King uses parallel structure when he repeats words like "We" and "Now is the time" to create a sense of Homeric importance when saying, "We will have to repent in this generation... We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do good." Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy... Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity." Dr. King uses these impactful words to tell the clergymen that freedom for African-Americans will happen and that this is what needs to happen to pull it off. Wrapped up in grandness of this paragraph, King infuses these words with a great amount of emotion designed to pull at the clergymen's sense of duty to his fellow man and convey the simple fact that his actions have not been "unwise and untimely," it has just been a long time

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively used pathos and logos in both his “I Have a Dream” speech and the “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” using both to further his ideas and his push for racial equality. Dr. King uses logos to appeal to the clergymen’s sense of logic in his “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. First, Dr. King uses logos to define “just and unjust laws” (17), attempting to convince the clergymen of how the actions that placed him in jail were, in fact, moral. In paragraph sixteen, Dr. King defines his idea of just and unjust laws, ”Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (16).

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In the beginning paragraphs, King refutes the idea that he is not an outsider. King uses analogy to compare himself to the Apostle Paul. He states in paragraph 3 that "just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so

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King’s periodic sentence structure allows the clergymen and the public to hold suspense and sympathy until the end of the sentence. Nonetheless, the clergymen state, in the last paragraph, that they “further strongly urge our own [African American] community to withdraw support from these demonstrations, and to unite locally in working peacefully for a better Birmingham”. With the use of imperative sentence structure, the clergymen’s requests become authoritative, which makes it harder for the audience to sympathize with the clergymen’s arguments. Consequently, not only does King’s appeal to pathos stimulate an emotional response from the audience, but it also helps the audience connect to King’s point of

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LFBJ Martin Luther King (MLK) uses Pathos to persuade his readers and uses rhetorical questions. MLK appeals to his audience when he states, “ In justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” (King 6) MLK. MLK used pathos here to link with the reader’s emotions. It makes the audience think about justice vs. injustice.

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King wisely prefaces his letter by saying, “But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.” King clearly states his intentions in writing the letter and addresses the audience as an equal, conveying companionship and brotherhood rather than bluntly arguing their thoughts to be incorrect and his reigning superior. In doing this, he makes it more likely for his audience to listen to his thoughts more with an open heart instead of becoming angered by his response, increasing the likelihood of the audience feeling understanding and respecting king as a person and as a leader. A particular section of King’s letter provides ample proof of his qualification to lead a revolution and crush the arguments of those who doubt him and his actions.

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In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King writes to the clergymen to defend his nonviolent actions. He goes on to show that his actions are justified and that it's time to move forward from all the injustices toward African-American people just because of the colors of their skin. Dr.King defends his peaceful protests and stated that they can no longer wait, and that is not right that clergymen think they should wait, when they have not been in the position and have felt the discrimination. Dr. King uses emotional, ethical and, logical appeal to convince the clergymen that his actions are wise and justified. Dr. King uses emotional appeal, to try to persuade the clergymen that he is not an extremist as it is being said he is.

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King apologizes for taking his audience’s time, which seems oddly weak compared to the powerful logical argument he previously presented. He turns this around quickly by reminding the audience that all of those arguments and appeals that were so effective were all written while he was in jail. This boosts the respect they have for King one last time. Finally, King ends with a powerful metaphor that calls upon the “fellow clergymen” to help lift the “fog of misunderstanding,” revealing the “radiant stars of love and brotherhood” underneath(11). He relates segregation and prejudice to a deep fog that keeps potential beauty and harmony locked away beneath its surface.

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Its ugly record of brutality is widely known” (176). This was used to show how bad the situation of racial injustice was in certain areas and why change needed to occur. King builds credibility multiple times throughout the paper for example he says “I am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town.” He states this after comparing himself to the Apostle Paul who spread the gospel of Jesus to the far corners of the world” (176). This shows that he is on a mission similar to Paul who is

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Martin Luther King Jr. was an American baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement in 1954. He had a great impact on race relations in the U.S. and he made a great impact on many lives. He died in 1968. Dr. King wrote 2 famous works, “Dream” and “Birmingham” and each had a different audience and purpose. Both works utilizes the persuasive techniques of pathos in “Dream” and logos in “Birmingham.”

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On April 16th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. responds to a newspaper that was written by the clergymen of that time. King wrote this letter to justify his actions and to answer the claim that his actions were "unwise and untimely." While writing this letter, King uses rhetorical devices and appeals to develop his argument that his actions were not untimely and unwise. When King starts out his letter, he has to make it clear that he is not an outsider by establishing credibility with the clergymen. King does this by juxtaposing statements about justice, he says "Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

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Martin Luther King Jr. was a key leader in the civil rights movement, and is well known for his Alabama bus boycott as well as many other nonviolent forms of demonstration against segregation. He wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” from his jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama after being arrested for peaceful protesting, in 1963. This letter is a response to “Statement by Alabama Clergymen,” in which various members of the clergy criticized King’s efforts to take a stand against discrimination. Throughout paragraphs 13 and 14, King uses metaphors, antitheses, as well as a somber tone in order to appeal to pathos, to argue for the priority needed to change segregation laws.

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Throughout American history, many African Americans did not have their proper rights. During the 1960s, many key individuals used their voices in favor of this, such as Martin Luther King Jr. In "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "I Have a Dream" Dr. King uses multiple rhetorical devices to provoke people to fight for justice. Dr. King’s decision to use his personal experience throughout the “Letter from Birmingham” helped inspire the children and students to march and protest. As he is jailed in Birmingham, he wrote a letter addressing the eight clergymen as well as to bring words of inspiration to the people on the outside.

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Throughout King’s argument, he appealed his own ethos to his opponents by saying “I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth”. Dr.

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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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