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Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

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“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. Several great documents are filled with methods of persuasion in order to effectively persuade the audience, one being the Letter From Birmingham Jail as well as The Truly Awe-Inspiring Accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. In the Letter From Birmingham Jail, King supports his view that the civil rights movement is necessary by using strategic organization to overthrow opposing arguments. He also engages the audience by captivating them emotionally, allowing him to have a better chance of getting them on his side. In The Truly Awe-Inspiring Accomplishments of Martin Luther …show more content…

In this quote, King is pretty much explaining his current state in order to offer the readers context about the environment he’s in. This displays pathos because it will have an emotional impact on the reader given that the writer is imprisoned. Pathos is also used in the the secondary source in the last paragraph where they talk about how king’s house was bombed. The reason as to why I feel they were using pathos is because of the way it favorably paints MLK by showing the struggles he had to face. Pathos was used in both of the sources in a way that captivated the audience by striking them emotionally in order to influence their thoughts on the …show more content…

By doing this he This is logos because he’s using logic in order to show why his point of view is sound. Logos is used in the secondary source when the writer talks about why MLK was an iconic figure in not only America but around the world. This is because they used logic to describe how King’s goal applied to things that take place worldwide (racial discrimination in employment, minimum wage for all workers etc.). In the secondary source, logos is the strongest method of persuasion due to it being the backbone of the informational piece. Logos is used in both of these sources in ways that accomplish furthering the writer’s argument through logic

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In his letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writes in response, a public state of concern to his clergymen. The letter was written in April 1963 based on the racial segregation that took place in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. King was in jail because he was protesting segregation against blacks in Birmingham. He also uses logos when giving logical reasoning to better explain current events to catch the reader’s attention. He also uses ethos to gain credibility on the matter of racial inequality and negligence, to get the audience’s attention.

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" Logos were used by King in this paragraph as a way to refute the claim made by a letter King received from Texas. "Human progress never rolls in on wheels on inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God." Through this quote, King used Logos

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Over the course of history, few have demonstrated the talent and passion required to really inspire others with the simplest- yet perhaps deadliest- tool in the human arsenal: words. Great orators are known by name in the common household for the way they moved people: Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and even those who live in infamy like Adolf Hitler. This Monday, the 15th of January, America will be celebrating one of the most revered orators in American history, Martin Luther King Jr., tireless crusader for the cause of human rights. King knew what he stood for.

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Chase Schwarz 11/19/17 English 1301 “Letter From Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is seen as one of the most inspiring and terrific pieces of persuasive writing in American history. The letter is written in response to the eight clergymen who originally wrote Martin Luther King Jr. because he believed them to be “men of genuine good will”, and wanted to establish himself as a prominent figure in the eyes of the law, as well as Americans all over. He also believed that blacks were being treated unjustly and wanted an immediate change. He was able to use Aristotle’s three different artistic appeals magnificently to express his many different points, and has a bit of each carefully worded throughout the letter.

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Rhetorical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail In August of 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famous, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. This document directly addresses the white ministers’ statements. Within the letter King provides counter points to each of the clergymen’s claims. Arguing that what he was doing was for a better cause and that the white ministers were actually the ones obstructing justice.

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How he wrote his argument and how well. Analyze his use of ethos/emotion Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written during 1963, when African Americans were fighting for black and white equality. We can see this by the vocabulary that he uses, like “Negro”, which was used around that time period and no longer used anymore. We can also see this through the context of the letter; that King wants freedom for African Americans.

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Logos: Logical thought speaking by stating fact. Reason Dr. King used this to give his speeches backbone behind the athos an emotion. “Five score years ago a great American whose in symbolic shadow we stand today,signed to Emancipation Proclamation.” “I Have a Dream. ”“The marvelous new militancy has engulfed the negro people.”

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We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. " This uses logos as it shows logical steps to prove they have done what is right. Using logos shows that they know what they are talking about. They are not simply saying words but have a system backed up by it. For example, humans did not believe the earth was round until proof came out that it was true.

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While in solitary confinement for nearly 8 days, reverend and social justice activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to the criticism he received for his non-violent protests. Several clergy who negatively critiqued King’s approach of seeking justice, wrote A Call for Unity, arguing that his protests were senseless and improper. Within the article, the clergymen provide nine different critiques that asserted how King’s protest are invalid, uneffective, and simply unintelligent in the fight for obtaining justice and equity for individuals of color. His letter has become one of the most profound pieces of literature of the 20th century, as King uses vivid examples and eloquent rhetorical devices to counter all nine arguments.

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Finally, in order to convince the clergymen that his actions were justifiable, King used pathos in his letter. Pathos is a rhetorical appeal which uses emotion and affect. Accordingly, the author is able to persuade the reader emotionally by appealing to their heart and emotions. The first example of pathos in this letter can be displayed where King suggests, “But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here” (King 581). As stated, King says that there is injustice in Birmingham and how he is there to fight against that

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Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader in the Civil Rights movement, the son and grandson of a minister, and one heck of a letter writer. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. In his tear-jerking, mind-opening letter, King manages to completely discredit every claim made by the clergymen while keeping a polite and formal tone. Metaphors, allusions, and rhetorical questions are used in the most skillful way to support his argument and ultimately convince his audience of the credibility behind his emotional, yet factual, claims.

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The use of pathos and logos in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is extraordinary. “When the Architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes black men as well as white men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (MLK pg, 261-262) This quote has a logical appeal or also know as a logo. It is a logo due to the fact that this it is a fact that they signed the Declaration of Independence and that it says that all men should be created equal.

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In “A Letter From A Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr defends his use of nonviolent protest in order to accomplish racial equality. In the letter, Dr. King uses ethos, diction, and allusions when defending nonviolent protest which makes his argument really strong. His goal is to make the clergymen help him fight racial equality. He uses ethos to build up credibility.

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To begin with Dr. King used logos in his speech to educate the people and give them evidence and logic. Dr. King used both logos and pathos in his speech here is an example of logos used in his speech. “ Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, Signed the Emancipation Proclamation. ”(King 261) is the quote that Dr. King wrote in his speech. He is telling them that the African Americans have been free for five hundred years and that was a great point in history but the African Americans aren’t treated equally or fairly.

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Martin Luther uses logos effectively throughout his speech. Dr. King says,“ But one hundred years later, the Negro is not free” ( Luther). The fact is that one hundred year has past still no improvement on the situation. Another example is the analogy “ America has given the Negro people a bad check a check which has not come back marked insufficient funds”( King).He reasons that most people are understanding lack of money. King’s speech was effectively because of how he formatted his speech.

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