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Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter Form Birmingham City Jail

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One April 16th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., pastor and civil rights activist, in his speech entitled “Letter form Birmingham City Jail”, addresses social justice for all people. He supports his claims by first stating there is heritage and Americans will fight for what they deserve, then explaining we are doing the wrong thing to get the correct outcome, which is protesting for equality, and finally everyday people disobey the law to get the outcome they want. Through use of tone, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical tools he effectively persuades the United States citizens to bring social justice to everyone across the United States of America King’s optimistic and encouraging tone promotes and livens the United States citizens. King’s speech …show more content…

He encourages people to make their voices heard peacefully and respectfully. King knows segregation will end one day, but the nation must keep fighting until that day comes; They will be the young high school and college students, young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders courageously and nonviolently sitting-in at lunch counters and willing going to jail for conscience’s sake. (4) King portrays the protesters as hero and pioneers by speaking of their courage and bravery. This causes the nation to believe that the protesters are fighting for justice and equality. King intelligently uses logos to make a valid argument about social justice for everyone. King’s use of ethos and logos inspires the nation to fight for social justice for …show more content…

He expresses to the nation that; “Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth we were here” (1). King refers to the pilgrims because they settled this great country and it links the nation to a common background. With a shared common background the nation can unite as one. King’s wonderful use of allusions connects the nation to unite together and fight for social justice. King’s intelligent usage of conscious and use of pronouns pulls the nation to fight for equality for all. King begins his speech speaking about justice and freedom; “We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom” (1). He includes the nation in his speech to agree with his argument they everyone should have the same equal rights. By including the nation King can firmly state his idea and people are more likely to agree with it. He also discusses how nonviolence is a crucial piece of peaceful protesting; “Over the last few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek” (3). King uses this viewpoint to get the nation to be against violent forms of protesting because it does not send the correct message. King’s brilliant choice of conscious use of pronouns unites the nation as one to fight for social justice. King’s purposefully chose

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