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Letter That Led To The Ballot Or The Bullet Essay

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Amanda Pulskamp English 2089.001 Professor Fetters May 17, 2024 The Letter That Led to The Ballot or The Bullet: A Genre Analysis Essay The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was a monumental time in United States history. Without this era filled with the hard work and sacrifice of activists such as Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., equality would still not exist between Black and White Americans. Prior to this movement, social injustice was still prominent in the lives of Black Americans. Even though Black Americans were granted equal rights and the right to vote through Constitutional Amendments in 1868 and 1870, respectively, this did not stop them from being discriminated against. They were routinely denied access to public …show more content…

When X says things like, “It’ll be the ballot or the bullet”. It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death” (12) and “You talk about a march on Washington in 1963, you haven’t seen anything. There’s some more going down in ’64” (14). His anger is visible because it is a speech. His audience can see and hear exactly how he feels and how they should feel. King takes a much different tone in his letter because he is trying to identify as a peer to the clergymen and show how qualified he is to lead the Freedom Movement. He is polite and confident. By choosing the format of a letter, King is able to be detailed and thorough in the explanation of his background, purpose, and plan. He details his leadership qualifications and says “I am here because I have organizational ties here” (King 1) to show the professionalism of his mission. King uses many biblical references in his letter that his audience would know and relates his work in Birmingham to the work of the prophets by saying “.and 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 am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom far beyond my own hometown”

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From the third paragraph of his letter, King uses a pitiful and emotional argument to persuade his audience. He is ensuring himself that his audience is listening and will be moved and touched. The sentence, “Beyond this, I’m in Birmingham because injustice is here” explains the real reason he is in Birmingham. He says that they were invited by local affiliates from Birmingham because they wanted him and his organization, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to participate in a nonviolent direct-action program that was going on in Birmingham yet he ended up in jail. He continues to compare himself to Apostle Paul.

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King writes this letter to the clergymen in an assertive and sensible tone without making his views seem confrontational. By doing this, he manages to prove his point clearly while being polite to the clergymen. He knows he doesn’t want to lose his audience because he believes his message is important. Also, his politeness shows that he always takes a nonviolent and non-aggressive approach to his cause, even verbally. For example, Dr. King states, “I hope you are able to see the distinction I am trying to point out.

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733 Words | 3 Pages

King’s letter is exceptionally successful because his similes result in solid logos. He uses similes or comparisons to justify his is logic in being in Birmingham and leading desegregation movements. Dr. King uses numerous similes from the bible and other religious comparisons. On the first page he talks about Apostle Paul and how what he is doing in Birmingham is a similar situation. Apostle Paul was spreading the christian word the same way Dr. King was attempting to spread freedom.

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1001 Words | 5 Pages

One of the very first topics that King addresses in his letter is this: his right to be in Birmingham, Alabama. The eight clergymen of Alabama called him an “outsider” in their public announcement. In response to this, King states that he and his company were invited in order

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The most noticeable form of persuasion Dr.King uses is Logos. In the beginning of the letter Dr.King gives his reasoning for being in Birmingham to protest and why he is in jail. He states: “Just as the eight–century prophets left their little villages and carried their ‘thus saith the Lord’ far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns; and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of the freedom beyond my particular hometown.” (14-17) Stated by Dr.King. He is trying to say that his goal isn't to cause chaos rather to spread the idea of freedom.

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At the end of his letter he addresses the clergymen " I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader, but as a fellow clergymen and a Christian brother" (paragraph 7). This statement makes a claim the king wants to meet these seven clergymen in person and speak about the issues he wrote in this letter. Another rhetorical tool king uses in his letter are similes. This rhetorical tool helps king compare two things and address the point as he sees it. " Over the last few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek" (paragraph 3).

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King uses multiple analogies throughout his letter such as when he compares his own demonstrations for justice to those of early Christians who were scorned by those who saw them as different. He stated “Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators.” But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were a “colony of heaven,” called to obey God rather than man” (186). This analogy had a major impact because the letter was directed at leaders of the Christian church who were rejecting people just as the Christians were rejected. King was also very effective at using emotional proofs in his letter such as when he states “Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States.

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I Just Wanna Be Average Mike Rose talked about his high school education and everything that went along with it. He starts off talking about how he was accidentally placed in vocational education due to a mix up of him and another student with the same last name. Although Rose was quite intelligent he was forced to sit in classes that were simplified and did not challenge him. Due to this fact he spent the first two years of high school paying more attention to the people around him than to his actual school work. He talks about each of his friends that shared the vocational classes with him and how they got into trouble and how they steered him in the wrong direction.

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Mentioning these organizations he is affiliated with provides significant importance, because it indirectly suggests he shouldn't be considered an "outsider" in Birmingham due to these ties. Additionally, this helps build his credibility among his audience, because it clarifies that he isn't oblivious to the local issues. Another way King builds his credibility is through a metaphor in which he compares himself to the Apostle Paul. King affirms "… just as the Apostle Paul left his village...and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ... I [am] compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own hometown.

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737 Words | 3 Pages

King first shows the intended audience why exactly he is writing this letter then builds on his previous experiences and intentions. In very first paragraph he says that because of the criticisms that the clergyman wrote were “sincerely set forth”(214) that he decided to write the letter. He then uses his position as President of the SCLU to explain that he is in Birmingham “because injustice is here”(214). After fully explaining why he is there he builds into his support and leadership of direct action to help end discrimination. Direct action is the first step after negotiations fail to get support for a cause, mainly civil rights.

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2000 Words | 8 Pages

Kings letter he decides to use the appeal of their shared beliefs in Christianity. Dr. King's goal is to appeal to their emotions and try to connect with them through shared faith. In the course of this conclusion Dr. King goes on to maintain how he views the Clergymen and how he wants to be viewed by them as well when he asserts that he wants to meet them but not as an "integrationist or a civil-rights leader" but instead perceived as "a fellow clergyman" and "a Christian brother". When Dr. King uses these words he is portraying how he wants to be seen amongst people he wants to consider equal. When taking into consideration these words, it is clear that Dr. King uses them to emphasize his wish of being given the ability to be seen as an equal to these

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866 Words | 4 Pages

He addresses this letter to eight clergymen. This letter was of mass contribution in helping with the civil rights movement in America. Dr. King uses a great deal of references some biblical some iconic to really bring his point across. All throughout the letter Dr. King’s tone is passionate, respectful yet sarcastic in a way. Dr. King’s tone as he begins

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762 Words | 4 Pages

Continuing in his letter King goes on to tell the clergy men they need to take into consideration all the other things that are going on in the South like police brutality, bombing of homes, churches and much more instead of worrying about his protest. By the same token, he states in his letter that he got a chance to sit down with leaders of the economic community to make negations and promises that did not take place for example taking down humiliating signs from stores, but they broke all those promised so King prepared to take direct action which was protesting. Concluding the letter King states “I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership in the

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583 Words | 3 Pages

During the 1960s, African American Civil Rights were a majorly debated topic. There were many instances of violence against African Americans, the policy of separate but equal, and also the lack of African Americans who were registered and allowed to vote. This sparked a need for change throughout the community and a need for freedom and equality. This topic has inspired many people to advocate against violence towards African Americans, segregation, and allowing African Americans to vote. One of the changes that occurred towards the support of the African American Civil Rights Movement was the advocacy of violence against African Americans.

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King shows Ethos in his letter by writing back to the clergy men who had objections against King’s protest in Birmingham. They basically called him an outsider but by establishing his credibility, King shows that he is in fact an

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