Pathos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King Jr., a man that led a movement of peace and equality for all walks of life, faced much criticism during his time in Birmingham, Alabama. He was jailed for participating and leading a peaceful protest after a judge ordered that he could not hold a protest in Birmingham. King called Birmingham, “the most thoroughly segregated city in the country”, and that led him to reach out and to bring out the flaws of racial injustice to national attention. These events led up to King composing the historic 1963 essay, Letter from Birmingham City Jail, King’s essay was written on all sorts of paper from the margins of newspaper all the way to paper scraps; however, that letter was a humble response to the eight clergymen who condemned

King’s use of pathos in his rebuttal gives his audience a chance to foresee his involvement in Birmingham; however, when he states, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” he implies that this movement involves more than Birmingham, and that is when King felt it was necessary as a citizen, that stands for equality and freedom, steps in and does the right thing for his neighbors. King also reminded those who criticized his activism, that people in other areas of the world are headed in the right direction, at a rapid pace, while individuals of color in America struggle for the right to enjoy a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. He relates the issue of equality in Birmingham to a “stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace,” compared to the other parts of the world, and this reinforces King’s focus on the rights of those in Birmingham. King uses details of his conditions in a long narrow jail cell to describe the length and quality of the letter he composed while incarcerated. The passion and Christ-like tendencies easily persuades many followers for Martin Luther King Jr.; however, his use of pathos allows the eight clergymen to comprehend the struggles and criticisms that he faced during his

King humbly accepts the criticism of the clergymen by acknowledging their comments with this statement, “I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth.” Once he set out his credentials for those that are opposing him, he makes many biblical references allowing those to remember the odds that prophets faced in the Bible. King also referenced many scholars and world leaders to reiterate his advocacy for human rights and equality. Defending himself from those that accused him of illegal activities in Birmingham, he says, “never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal."” King reminds those opposing the progress of citizens that much of the opposition all comes from the individual’s perspective. He also mentions the struggle that he faced in previous experiences such as the demonstrations in Montgomery, where he thought some of the white ministers in the area would rally behind him; however, he mentioned that many ministers in the area winded being some of his biggest opponents. Although King faced many critics, his use of ethos establishes a crowd that would rally around him, and his vast amounts of credibility and character could easily persuade some