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Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

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"Letter from a Birmingham Jail" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was written in answer to eight white clergy men who denounced his actions regarding protest activities. In this letter, King Jr. defends both his right and his moral grounds for organizing nonviolent demonstrations against segregation and racism. He argued that breaking laws can be justified, especially when those laws are prejudiced. King Jr.’s sole purpose for this letter was to convince the clergymen that the uprising created by his followers and him in the demonstrations were an essential force needed for progressive action. Martin Luther King uses powerful and persuasive tones and often mentions how unethical and unjust the system is. He expresses and supports his differing …show more content…

In a simple manner, he effectively justifies his view on how he believes that protests for an extensive cause aren’t something to criticize and shouldn’t be received negatively. He then mentions many important figures throughout history in this quote, “Was not Jesus an extremist for Love…Was not Amos and Extremist of justice… was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel… and Abraham Lincoln…and Thomas Jefferson…The Question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be” (“A Letter from Birmingham Jail” 6). He then questions the Clergymen on their argument, stating that if the protests are the trouble in Birmingham, why was there already a social situation simmering? “Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which…not a single Negro is registered” (“Letter from Birmingham Jail” 4) In this comment, attacking Alabama highlights the truth of what is happening and what is being overlooked by many. King then continues to use logos in this argument and states that the reason he was imprisoned was due to that he didn’t have a permit, not the fact that it is completely lawful to have such an “ordinance…it becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest” (“Letter from Birmingham Jail” 4). By using the reference to the constitution of the United States, he shows just and unjust laws and ordinances, which proved strong for King’s fight. Using logos and quotes from the passages that the clergymen and others held respectable, aided him to push the equal rights movement even

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Martin Luther King Jr. was able to transmit the oppression of African American from a jail cell through the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. With more than 6500 words, Martin Luther King Jr. touched the subject of segregation and injustice of the African American. One cluster that stood out the most was cluster 30, where King was able to explain why the African American was forced to express their birth given right of freedom after endless promises of justice during the Civil Rights Movement. Through the use of Logos, Martin Luther King Jr. was able to connect with the reader by using logic to convince his audience and quoting passages from Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Prophet Amos. Furthermore, by the use of pathos Dr. King was

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Martin Luther King Jr. was a master of rhetoric, and his "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a prime example of his persuasive abilities. In this letter, he used three rhetorical appeals – ethos, pathos, and logos – to persuade the clergyman that injustice was present in Birmingham and that his actions were appropriate. Firstly, MLK Jr. used ethos, referring to his credibility and character, to convince the clergyman. He established his authority on the subject by stating that he had been invited by the Birmingham affiliate of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, of which he was the president.

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Civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr., in his letter from Birmingham jail, recounts the inexplicable horror of racial discrimination and its depressing effects on the African-American community in the United States. King’s purpose is to convince the clergymen that there is an infinite amount of reasons to why immediate action is necessary for this civil rights movement to work and to justify his actions. He adopts a disappointed and dismal tone in order to illustrate the specific inequity and prejudice against African Americans and to emphasize a call to action to the clergymen and anyone who reads the letter. King begins his justification for his unwillingness to wait by acknowledging the extent of the problem of segregation and by

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Dog attacks, verbal abuse, and the kicking of the innocent, the blacks have been through it all. Martin Luther King Jr is sitting in a jail cell during the civil rights movement from protesting for his freedom. Informative and reflective, Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” explains that blacks and whites are equal and urges the clergymen to agree with him. King effectively explains that both blacks and whites are equal and stirs up the clergymen through his tone, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical tools.

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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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… Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ?... Was not Martin Luther an extremist?... Was not John Bunyan an extremist?”(7). King is comparing what he is doing to these known people whom others look up to.

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Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote a letter, from a Birmingham jail, addressing a few clergymen on their opinion concerning his motives, throughout the letter King uses rhetoric in order to persuade readers. King uses these rhetoric appeals such as logos, pathos and ethos in order to persuade every person who reads his letter, there are many strong points made by King throughout the letter but some of his strongest moments might have been his referencing of the Bible. Considering that King was a Christian, his reference to biblical figures improves the effectiveness of his arguments; therefore, King is creating an argument based off of something that many people would relate to. By relating to a greater audience one can make a more powerful

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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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He really supports this idea using rhetorical devices to further strengthen the central idea as a whole. He uses ethos as shown in this quote, “ … our bodies, full of fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities,” to persuade his audience that there should be equality by explaining how blacks have a lower quality of life as whites in this supposedly equal nation. People

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