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Note For Letter From Birmingham Jail

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Research Note #4: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]” Paragraph A: Item #2, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, is a correspondence written by Martin Luther King Jr. from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama after he was arrested for peacefully protesting the segregation of African Americans and Whites. As one of the most recognized documents in the history of the United States other than his “I Have a Dream…” speech, the letter is utilized to discredit the erroneous arguments established by clergymen for condemning the Birmingham demonstrations, which is primarily accomplished through the application of the Aristotelian appeals and Kairos. Throughout the eight-page letter, he incorporates references and quotes from well-respected historical …show more content…

Similarly, by implementing passages that contradict the claims of the clergyman and include complex puns, such as when he addresses there accusation that he is an extremist, he claims that the question is not whether he is an extremist or not, just what kind he will as he names “Jesus Christ as an extremist for love, truth and goodness…”, King indirectly targets the church as a secondary audience. In convincing the church of the necessity of their involvement, King is actually referring to all Christians to “rejoice at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believe(d)” and abandon the metaphoric thermometer(passively recording popular opinion) they have adopted. Moreover, he utilizes detailed descriptions of tragic situations endured by his fellow African Americans to evoke pathos from the primary and secondary audiences. In reestablishing the “psalm of brotherhood” King’s letter intent is to convince the American society of the …show more content…

The Book of Daniel. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1979. Reardon, Patrick T. "Fireproof faith." U.S. Catholic Nov. 1997: 36+. Academic OneFile. Web. 3 May 2015. The Book of Daniel is a biblical story about three men: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that were thrown into a furnace as a result of their refusal to worship the king of Babylon’s creation of a golden idol. The second article provides some contextual information as the actual story does not clarify that when King Nebuchadnezzar orders them to Babylon and forces them into slavery he strips them of everything (names, clothes, etc.) but not their faith in God. At the beginning of their capture, the three men believe that there faith in God will be the key to their salvation, “Everything will be peaceful. Everything will be painless,” however, the true message that Martin Luther King Jr. is referring to when he references the Book of Daniel "is not merely the absence of tension, but it is the presence of justice." By refusing to bow down to the clergymen King paralleled the actions of the three men that refused to bow down to the golden idol as that would signify their abandonment of their beliefs and God. Instead both took a stand, finally understanding that “God calls us to live life with all its complexities and ambiguities, its mix of triumph, tedium, and tragedy.” The story concludes with the three man signing, reminding devote Christians that suffering frequently accompanies a struggle

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He reveals his hope that the church will make changes to its current attitude, while at the same time expressing his disappointment. Furthermore, King prefaces this section with a statement that he is a man “who loves the church,” (34) and “was nurtured in its bosom” (34) in order to establish his credibility and appeal to ethos. He suggests that he knows the church

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861 Words | 4 Pages

This reference particularly stands out due to the vast amount of religious individuals following the Bible’s teachings; comparing oneself to Jesus and his associates has incredible potential to increase the following for a cause if it is just. King also used an alternate mood to address pathos, invoking sadness, disgust, and discomfort to describe horrific events which occurred during non-violent protests. "Like so many experiences of the past we were confronted with blasted hopes, and the dark shadow of a deep disappointment settled upon us.” Because King assumes that his audience has experienced disappointment, this statement provokes sympathy, understanding, and support by stating that African Americans had already gone through many trials and tribulations just as many other people have around the world. This creates a bond between king and his audience, showing that his followers and he himself aren’t any more different from white people than any other

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Dr. King uses descriptive words and metaphors to convey the emotions and things he is feeling. King is condemning the clergymen saying other religious leaders have come and joined us, then why will you not help us? He speaks of the other religious leaders helping his cause as a way to convince and urge the clergymen to join his side. King wants freedom breaking out of the metaphorical “chains” and not conforming and is thankful to everyone that has decided to join in and help him do so. “Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in the tragic attempt to live in monologue rather than dialogue” (King 354).

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Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. " King uses the allusions of these historical events to send a message about injustice and how many of those people sacrificed a lot but did not give in to civil obedience. Along with Allusion, King used Pathos through his word choice, in order to explain his message of civil disobedience, in a way the priest, or clergy would understand. Pathos and Logos are a common factor in King's writing as a way to appeal to his audience and to install a sense of justice and activism. This was quite evident in paragraph 26, when King uses rhetorical appeals to promote a united whole fighting "to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.

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539 Words | 3 Pages

if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; If you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men. ’’ I believe imagery like this makes the letter have a bigger impact on its audience because it causes people to feel something whether it’s sorrow or anger; and pathos can be a powerful rhetorical appeal. Another aspect of this letter that I think is very clever of King to include, is his use of a lot of religious qoutes and knowledge to back up his beliefs because Christianity is something him and the eight clergymen have in common.

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168 Words | 1 Pages

Martin Luther King uses allusion in “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to add greater meaning to the cause he is defending. Dr. King includes many biblical references in his writing to compare the similarities between actions in the bible and his. For instance, Martin Luther King says “like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.” Since Martin Luther King King is writing his letter to clergymen, his religious allusions are used to appeal to them; specifically, Dr. King brings up the point that certain tension is caused by people who have been subjected to grievances and believe “...that the white man is an incurable ‘devil.’” In saying this, Martin Luther King tells the clergymen that their sanctimonious acts and racial

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993 Words | 4 Pages

In reaction to the chaos, eight Alabama clergymen published a public statement asking for the citizens of both races to remain peaceful and live together in an orderly manner. When Martin Luther King, Jr., an activist from Atlanta, Georgia who was currently in the Birmingham City Jail for parading without a permit, saw this letter from the clergymen, he sent a reply in which he addressed the flaws in their argument and explained his reasoning for being in Birmingham. The world we live in today would not be possible if it were not for the determination and passion of Civil Rights activists like him. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King, Jr. appeals to the emotions of multiple audiences of 1963, as well as current audiences of 2014, by using meticulous diction, repetition, and vivid imagery to demonstrate his passion for the movement

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1355 Words | 6 Pages

1963 could be considered the peak of the civil rights movement- with protests in Birmingham, the March on Washington, and the surfacing of Martin Luther King Jr.'s ground-breaking pieces "I Have A Dream" and "Letter from Birmingham Jail," the demand for civil rights had become a genuine American crisis. Dr. King wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail" while he was in custody with the intention to share with fellow Americans his grievances and explain the absolute necessity for protests in Birmingham. Almost a century prior, in 1852, Frederick Douglass delivered his biting and passionate speech "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" on behalf of all the enslaved. Somewhat similar to Dr. King's letter, Douglass shares his own grievances regarding

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498 Words | 2 Pages

On April 16, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter to seven, white clergymen as a response to their criticisms of King’s approach to tackle segregation and other racial issues in Birmingham, Alabama. Coincidentally, King was also a clergyman—a clergyman with tons of influence as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization that has 85 affiliated groups. Throughout his letter, King’s use of allusions both of historical and religious significance supports King’s position as a highly influential and educated clergyman, provide the inspirations behind King’s strategy of nonviolence, and a strong ethos to criticize his fellow clergymen who act as bystanders. In the beginning of King’s letter, the first thing he does is to address his own credibility the seven clergymen questioned.

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681 Words | 3 Pages

King reminded them of “the time when early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed” (10), back when they were “a thermostat that transformed the mores of society” (10). This allusion parallels the early Christians’ struggles against persecution with the American black communities’ hardships in protecting their own civil rights. Additionally, King condemns how white moderate Christians infantilize the critical conditions black Americans are forced to live under—especially the Christians who worship holy martyrs. Although his criticisms may be harsh, King made such comparisons in order to connect young black to the early Christians he described. King’s true purpose for his harsh comparison against the American Christian communities is to emphasize hope.

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1546 Words | 7 Pages

King uses biblical allusions to appeal to the eight white clergymen and their religious affiliation when he states his duty to carry the “gospel of freedom beyond his home town... Like Paul.” His final point of this section is the clergymen’s failure to recognize the underlying causes of the demonstrations they so harshly condemn, a failure causing further ignorance and confusion on racial

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866 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the text, King utilized the values of his audience to gain sympathy and later on support. His use of diction and syntax would align his mission to God’s, and show that he was in the right and the clergymen were in the wrong. In his letter, King effectively used an extended periodic sentence that consisted of more than 300 words. The sentence has an extreme appeal to pathos, with such vivid imagery

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1454 Words | 6 Pages

Is it better to follow laws that are unjust but right, or do the thing that is fair but are against the law? Socrates in Plato’s “The Crito” and Martin Luther King, Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” answer this question from conflicting perspectives. According to Plato (427-423 BCE), Socrates believed that it is his duty to obey the law of his city, Athens, on all occasions, whereas King (1963) made the argument first put forth by St. Thomas Aquinas that “an unjust law is no law at all” (p. 69). One of these reasons for the differing opinions on this subject is due to the times and places in which these two men existed and came to their views on Civil disobedience.

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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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677 Words | 3 Pages

Have you ever had a day filled with excitement to last a lifetime? The contagious laughter, the broad smile, the refreshing smell,the salty sweet,These are my memories. NAFAYIA Have you ever tried to multitask with a 5 year old? Well I have, it was a bright and sunny Saturday in Ames, Iowa.

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