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Rhetorical Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

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To this day people are treated unfairly, many people have felt the effects of discrimination. Dr. Martin Luther King was a highly recognized spokesman for the civil rights movement. In his letter he explained his stance on non-violent protests. In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s, Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King evaluates human rights through moral reasoning, equality, and segregation. Dr. King vehemently appealed to his colleagues concerning their moral reasoning, and showed how unethically black people were treated. He pleaded with everyone to see how inhumane it was to treat people of color in such a way that they felt like less than human. King tried to reason with his fellow clergymen to understand that “hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters.” (King, 4, para 3). He appealed to the people by explaining how much it pains him to think of an answer when his 5-year-old asks, “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?” (King, 4, …show more content…

He explained in his letter, that black people waited more than 340 years to be treated as equals, but they were still oppressed (King, 4, para 3). He explained that people were bombing Negro homes and churches, and these cases went unsolved (King, 2, para 4). This kind of injustice would never happen to a white man. The term “segregation” was used many times in Dr. King’s letter. He referred to it as the “disease of segregation”, demonstrating how disgusting it truly is (King, 4, para 2). He told of when his daughter wanted to go to a new amusement park, but he had to tell her “Fun-town is closed to colored children” (King, 4, para 5). This story shows how truly heartbreaking segregation is to black children, and their families. No one should feel like less than human, and not get to experience life to its fullest just because of the color of their

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Martin Luther king wrote the letter from Birmingham jail and discuss the biggest issues in the black community of Birmingham. In order to justify his desire for racial justice and equality, martin Luther king uses knowledge and potential thoughts given toward to his letter transcending to his people and the churches and he made very important valid statement that gave his audience and open mind and to encourage American society desegregation and having equality among all Americans with no stratification according to racial differences. His letter addresses the American society, political and religious community of America. King uses metaphors saying “ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning

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He states, “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 Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people…” (567). Dr. King’s emotional appeal is to invoke compassion and empathy in the hearts of his readers by showing that segregation creates an envirnoment of tension and

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Why must the Negro community keep waiting for the promise they have begged to receive for the past 340 years? Why must they continue to be criticized, hated, judged, and discriminated by the white man? Why must they continue living each day as a lower member of society when in reality, they truly are the same as everyone else? King asks these questions in his writing, yet he already has a blaring answer. Simple response: There is no sense in waiting when it can occur now.

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In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. is responding to accusations made by eight Alabama clergymen. He asserts that his actions, and the actions of his followers were just and reasonable. He notes that the clergymen claimed he was acting too hastily but King explains that their actions were not hasty. He backs up his actions with persuasive argument and reasoning. He points out ways that others actions have been unjust and immoral.

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King uses an appeal to logic brilliantly when he talks about the “negro” community of Birmingham saying, “I began thinking about the fact that I stand in the middle of two opposing forces,” (). This shows the clergymen that there are two sides to the community, one being, “a force of complacency… so drained of self-respect and a sense of ‘somebodiness’ that they have adjusted to segregation,” and the other, “is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence,” (). By doing this, King does not justify his intentions, but rather gives the audience facts so that they can comprehend that his response was, in fact, the most

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, uses the lense of social power in order to get his thoughts across. Social power is the degree of influence that an individual or organization has among their peers and within their society as a whole. This idea is illustrated throughout his letter to show the significance of the disabilities and unfair treatment the black community has faced for the entirety of their existence. African americans have never been able to gain the respect from others they deserve due to the idea that other races have more power on them simply due to the color of their skin. Martin Luther King is able to express these ideas by referencing multiple examples as to how social power has negatively affected their societal presence for many years.

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In 1963 a social activist for the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., wrote “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” in response to a public statement by eight Alabama clergymen, criticizing Dr. King’s actions. Dr. King was leading a peaceful march in Birmingham with his followers, when he was arrested for protesting. Dr. King was confined in the Birmingham jail for a total of four days in which he wrote his letter with only a newspaper that contained the public statement by the clergymen. During this time Birmingham was immensely known for its injustice and racism, being one of the most segregated cities. Dr. King’s position was to mend the injustice and inequality through non-violent peaceful actions.

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Letter from Birmingham Jail The Letter from Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is important to understanding American history because it explains that even if blacks followed the laws provided for by the Constitution, they still were not treated as equals to whites. At the time, Dr. King was President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights group.

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Martin Luther King uses this ability he has in writing to the clergymen about the struggles the black race has faced, in order to detail the history of the dehumanization the white race has ordered upon blacks for many years. King is attempting to show that it is unfair and daunting towards the black community to face these discriminations every day. King when mentioning discrimination, says ¨We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights . . . 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 sisters and brothers at whim; [when you have to tell your six-year-old daughter] Funktown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people;¨(3).

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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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In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. uses politics, attempts to define unjust law, and imagery of violent treatment of protesters in order to argue that standards and non-violence are the most effective strategies in overcoming segregation. He also argues that those who truly want change need to be ready for action and protest now rather than forever holding their peace and living in a world of segregation. Martin Luther King compares international civil rights campaigns in order to shame the clergy into realizing how far behind American civil rights are. When Martin Luther King says, “we have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights.

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“Letter from Jail” On April 16, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter to the eight clergymen while he was incarcerated. Dr. King wrote this letter to address one of the biggest issues in Birmingham, Alabama and other areas within the United States. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” discussed the great injustices that were happening during that time towards the black community. Dr. King wanted everyone to have the same equal rights as the white community, he also went into further details about the struggles that African Americans were going through for so many years, which he felt like it could change. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, expressed his beliefs and his actions about the Human Rights Movement.

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King believed that if he could just go to Birmingham, and protest non-violently, that he could make a difference. On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was imprisoned, in Birmingham, for protesting the civil rights of Black Americans. While in jail, he began writing a letter addressing the clergymen. His main audience in writing this letter was to the eight clergymen who criticized his actions and also the majority of the population as well. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, argues that injustice

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In 1963, Martin Luther King was imprisoned in Birmingham because of his protesting contributes. During this time, there was segregation going on which prohibited African Americans from using particular areas or any type of services in all. King had written a letter in response to the eight white clergymen who criticized King's actions. In the "Letter from Birmingham jail" King defends the lawfulness of protesting, breaking the law in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation and racism. The major premise here is that all laws that devalue the human disposition are unjust.

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Throughout his speech he implies a lot of metaphors to make his speech effective and influencing. For example, King constantly describes the Negroes as being “crippled” by the “manacles of segregation”, “Storms of Persecution,” and “chains of discrimination.” Through these metaphors King indicates the crises the Negroes face. A few of King’s strongest metaphors are his references to prejudice: “the quick sands of racial injustice”, the “heat of oppression”, “the dark and desolate valleys of segregation”, and the “chains of discrimination.” King also indicates the unbearable inequality by creating an image: “the sweltering summer of the negro’s discontent.”

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