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Martin luther king letter from birmingham-analysis
Martin luther king letter from birmingham-analysis
Martin luther king letter from birmingham-analysis
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Martin Luther King uses many different types of appeal to prove his credibility to the clergyman. One of the types of appeals he uses to convince his audience is ethos. Ethos appeals a person through credibility. So in this letter, Martin Luther King Jr. has to establish his credibility in order for the argument to be convinced by his argument. In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr. uses allusions and first person plural pronouns in order to convince the clergyman of his credibility.
According to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr., he wrote a letter to respond to white clergymen on explaining why he is taking such actions. In the year 1963, during Martin Luther King Jr’s imprisonment in Birmingham, Alabama, he wrote a transcendent letter to white clergymen who stated that they disagreed with his obnoxious protests for racial inequality. They also urged him to seize his illogical riots. Martin’s response towards those men was that he and his fellow advocates would continue to protest and riot to make sure that they get the justice that they deserve. The clergymen also claim that he is an outsider and that he is only in Birmingham to create problems.
Martin Luther King Jr., who is a civil rights activist, wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963 when he was arrested for being in Birmingham civil rights demonstrations to fight for justice. He wrote this letter to respond to eight white clergymen who criticized his demonstrations as “unwise and untimely” (601). In this letter, he explained the reason and purpose of him being in Birmingham to clarify the criticism. He also mentioned about the basic steps towards any nonviolent campaign that need to go through and describe each steps that they took in Birmingham. Lastly, he distinguished the difference between the two types of laws; just and unjust laws.
In April 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for peacefully protesting. While incarcerated, King responded to a statement from eight clergymen which called his actions “unwise and untimely.” While imprisoned, Kind decided to acknowledge their critiques with his famous piece, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” On the surface, this letter is directed towards these clergymen’s criticisms. This is seen in the opening of the letter when King greets his fellow clergymen and uses the phrase “you” throughout the letter.
Summary of the Letter In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, he addresses many criticisms from clergymen. King started out by addressing the fact that the clergymen are calling him an outsider. He also addressed how to have nonviolent cases and how laws are breakable if they are unjust. The clergymen believed that the blacks needed to be patient and that their actions were untimely, but King does not agree. Finally, King addresses the problems in the church and the Birmingham police force.
In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King expresses his point of view on the points made by several clergymen about his non-violence demonstration in Birmingham, more specifically, his disagreement with the points the clergymen made. By presenting the ideas the white majority supports and responding to it, King effectively identifies the flaws in the arguments the white majority supports. An example of this would be when King explains that the white majority believes that the non-violent demonstrations are forms of extremist. After he points out the argument the white majority makes about non-violent demonstrations, King mentions the flaw behind this idea. He goes on and explains that if the white majority believes that his non-violent
Alyssa Farris Dr. Michael Torrence English 1020 10 February 2015 1. Review paragraphs 1-4 carefully. What is King's purpose in that section of the Letter? Who is he addressing and how does he attempt to build confidence and trust (ethos)? How does his tone show awareness of his actions?
In Dr. King’s letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), King strongly implies that American society has a moral responsibility to break laws that are unjust because Americans cannot wait forever for justice to come through the courts. King opens with a tone that is assertive, yet respectful, with formality in mind, King makes his letter sophisticated, and finally reminds the nine religious leaders what he is really doing with logic. The reason for King’s letter is to persuade people to invoke the much-needed change to the justice system. Dr. King adopts a stern, yet respectful tone when addressing the nine religious leaders' ideas throughout the letter. Throughout his letter, Dr. King urges the audience to act on the unjust laws that are against
During Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for civil rights, he received criticism and was accused of using “violent” protests that were viewed as harmful and disrespectful. In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” written by Martin Luther King Jr., he expresses his purpose for writing the letter: to show his disappointment with the white moderate. In the letter, Dr. King directs his use of words toward his “Jewish and Christian brothers”. p. 23) to help progress the civil rights movement. In the letter, Dr. King also responds to the criticism that was directed at him during the civil rights movement for their methods of nonviolent protest and marches.
.Historical Context of Martin Luther King Jr. Letter from the Birmingham Jail and Summary of Dr King’s arguments for social justice Martin Luther King Jr. used a policy which was linked with the nonviolent resistance in order to campaign for change. Despite of countering the violence against the aggressions, he adopted fair laws and later call for the collective social based reforms by highlighting all the nonviolent means and ways for instance boycotting.
After reading Martin Luther King's " Letter from Birmingham Jail" his tone and attitude and the content of the letter struck me. His tone/attitude toward his audience was calm, yet had a sense of urgency and frustration in some parts. He was also very respectful by addressing people such as Mr., my friends, and my brothers instead of using hateful terms. He also showed his passion and the need for change through his wording in the letter. The content of the letter was strongly built due to the argumentation he used to support his points.
In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. responds to the criticisms of other clergymen that his nonviolent campaign to end segregation in Birmingham, Alabama is “unwise and untimely” (1), as well as presenting his concerns of the white moderate and the limited power of the church. Although his fellow clergymen urge King to wait for the inevitable end of segregation, he refutes that “time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation” (21) showing that rather than wait for change, the civil rights campaign must take advantage of the time provided. With the mayoral elections in Birmingham occurring during the time of the planned action (8), the movements plans were further deterred causing their window of opportunity to shrink without them getting in the way of Birmingham’s political agenda. King goes on to invalidate the claims of the religious leaders by stating that “freedom is never voluntarily
Respected Martin Luther King Jr, After reading your “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, which us a deeper look into the reality of the racial equality that existed in the 1960’s. I see that you wrote this letter to your fellow clergymen since you too are a church man, and aimed it towards addressing their concerns regarding the timing of the nonviolent actions in Birmingham, Alabama that you along with other leaders orchestrated and carried out in 1963. My first reaction to this reading was a sense of insecurity acknowledging the fact that people in the 1960’s were what you, Mr. King, described as the “oppressor race” (par 31). But after giving myself time to analyze my reaction and to take into to consideration the time era, I‘ve come to accept
In his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively states that social movements need to trigger conflict to advance and bring about societal change. Dr. King highlights the need for nonviolent direct action to generate moral awakening and a sense of urgency in the general population. In his letter, he makes the case that tension, when used constructively, can become a powerful tool for addressing injustices and that, on the other hand, passive acceptance of injustice feeds systematic oppression. Dr. King claims that people can overthrow the current system, force critical thought, and eventually open the door for laws and social norms to be transformed by peaceful protests and civil disobedience. An example of
In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. uses politics, attempts to define unjust law, and imagery of violent treatment of protesters in order to argue that standards and non-violence are the most effective strategies in overcoming segregation. He also argues that those who truly want change need to be ready for action and protest now rather than forever holding their peace and living in a world of segregation. Martin Luther King compares international civil rights campaigns in order to shame the clergy into realizing how far behind American civil rights are. When Martin Luther King says, “we have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights.
