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Pathos, Ethos And Logos In The Works Of Dr. Martin Luther King

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“When he died, I think something died in all of us. Something died in America. Each day I think we must find a way, to dream the dream that he dreamed. And build on what he left all of us” (John Lewis). Dr king, a man with a dream that the heat of oppression will transform into an oasis of freedom and justice. A goal to eliminate segregation and make African Americans equal. Dr king could not have rallied people to his cause if it was not for his expert persuasion. With his masterful execution of Pathos, ethos and logos, he connected to people, allowing them to see the bigger picture, seeing the path to humanity and pulling people away from the harsh status quo. Pathos refers to the emotional appeal of the speaker, and King uses it effectively …show more content…

King uses logos effectively throughout the letter to make a compelling case for civil rights. For example, he writes, "The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, 'Wait.' But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your brothers and sisters at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothered in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait." Here, King uses a comparison to other nations and a rhetorical question to demonstrate the unfairness and urgency of the situation

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