Martin Luther King Jr.'s The Letter From Birmingham Jail

Imagine our society if Martin Luther King Jr. never fought for African American civil rights. People can not ponder the thought of today’s reality without equal rights. He did fight for equal rights and even gave his life to do so. King wrote “The Letter from Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963 to defend peaceful protests or nonviolent resistance which is the reason he was arrested. It also says, people have the right to take direct action, because African Americans are getting tired of waiting. He was speaking out toward the clergy, by telling them he was doing nothing wrong wanting social justice. Although some may think differently, pathos and kairos are the most effective devices in “The Letter from Birmingham Jail,” because pathos triggers feelings of shame and guilt, and kairos adds a state of urgency.

Pathos is used frequently in the excerpt to evoke shame and guilt in the white clergy. The clergy believes King’s present activities are “unwise and untimely.” He feels the men of the clergy, “are men of genuine good will and” their “criticisms are sincerely set forth.” However, the clergy did not understand the effects of racism on black people. King saw the clergy did want the best and they are good people. When King

Others may think different, but pathos and kairos are mainly used in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” because they give guilt to the clergy and a sense of urgency to the audience. Throughout the excerpt, King used pathos through saying the clergy does not have sympathy for segregation and King sees both sides, his and the clergy’s. He gives a sense of kairos by constantly saying “when” and giving experiences he has seen throughout his life. “The Letter from Birmingham Jail” is an accurate argument to defend peaceful protests and end