Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he was in jail during a severe problem in Birmingham. Speaking of the problem, Dr. King says in the letter, “[l]et us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty” (quoted in Jacobus 392). Dr. King was engaged in civil disobedience in order to achieve harmony and justice between the opposing races; however, he faced many obstacles before getting even close to his goals. King’s letter was written in response

King uses emotional appeal as one way to prove that his actions in Birmingham are justified and needed. A good writer knows their audience and what will make the audience respond the most. This is why Dr. King did not use emotional appeal as much as logical, however, emotional appeal was still present. King’s audience, the eight clergymen, would not have responded to emotional as much as the other appeals. One example of emotional appeal used in the letter was in paragraph 14; in this paragraph, King explains why they cannot wait for change because “ [the] vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim” (quoted in Jacobus 381). Although this quote is very blunt, it gets the point across that blacks during this time were treated terribly and needed change now before things got even worse. Adults were not the only ones being persecuted, children were feeling the segregation as well, “when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking, ‘Daddy, why are white people so mean?’” (quoted in Jacobus 382). Dr. King uses his child for some of his emotional appeal because he is trying to create an emotional response within the eight clergymen; this quote shows that the segregation and discrimination affect everyone in the black

King utilizes in his letter is “ethos”, or ethical appeal. Dr. King recognizes that to argue his point he has to be civil towards his audience, the eight clergymen, even though he does not agree with them. He begins his letter by saying that they are “men of genuine good will…” and that their “criticisms are sincerely set forth” (quoted in Jacobus 378). Despite the anger and resistance King had to have felt at this time, he still addressed these men with respect and civility. Jonathan W. Emord summarizes this technique well by saying, “He led by an example of peaceful resistance to the injustice that overwhelmingly surrounded him and his race, and he led by the power of persuasion over vile invective…” (Emord 50). Another section that shows the ethical appeal King uses is in paragraph eight when he says, “We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies...laying our case before...the local and the national community” (quoted in Jacobus 379). Dr. King is explaining that he and many others had no other choice other than to use a direct attack as a means of negotiating with the “local and national community” because they would not communicate with him. He presents this information in an ethical and logical way so that he is still addressing his audience with respect and civility even though he is describing this direct attack. To further justify his argument using ethical appeal, King includes