From the third paragraph of his letter, King uses a pitiful and emotional argument to persuade his audience. He is ensuring himself that his audience is listening and will be moved and touched. The sentence, “Beyond this, I’m in Birmingham because injustice is here” explains the real reason he is in Birmingham. He says that they were invited by local affiliates from Birmingham because they wanted him and his organization, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to participate in a nonviolent direct-action program that was going on in Birmingham yet he ended up in jail. He continues to compare himself to Apostle Paul.
Civil rights activist, Martin Luther king Jr., in “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, responds to the clergymen who criticized his work and ideas. King’s purpose is to achieve an understanding for the desire of freedom. He expresses a confident tone in order to appeal to similar feelings the clergymen may have when he talks about freedom to help bond brotherhood. Throughout the beginning of the text, King explains why he is in Birmingham and because now is the time to take action, therefore he uses formal language to create a familiar or colloquial diction.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s primary purpose in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is to justify his presence and involvement in the peaceful protests taking place in Birmingham as well as to condemn the world of unjust segregation and racism. By employing logos continuously in his writing, King develops and contributes to his position in support of peaceful protests and direct action programs that are meant to bring to African Americans the “unalienable rights” that they are being denied. He writes the letter in 1936 from his prison cell in Birmingham jail, replying to a public letter written by several clergymen. His well-thought written logic appeals to the intended audience but also indirectly addresses the divided nation.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail”, by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (King) is a powerful piece of writing that graces the injustices occurring in Birmingham, Alabama at that time. Part of the power lies in the use of rhetorical devices such as anaphora, ethos, pathos, as well as antithesis and how King used these devices and literary approaches to express his message, intention, and educate the clergymen to the realities of injustice occurring in Birmingham. XIn paragraph 24, King uses anaphora to counter a claim from the clergymen who referred to Xhim as an extremist. He asks the clergymen “Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist?” In this Xparagraph King repeated the words “was not” six times to explain the concept that being an extremist is not always negative.
In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr., he explains to the eight clergy men, whom had previously criticized him, and to the rest of America about why he is in Birmingham. King wrote this letter to persuade and answer the criticism of why his present activities were NOT “unwise and untimely.” While writing this, King uses the three Aristotelian Appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos to fully explain his points. Throughout the second paragraph, Martin Luther King began to build his credibility.
In Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King writes to the clergymen to defend his nonviolent actions. He goes on to show that his actions are justified and that it's time to move forward from all the injustices toward African-American people just because of the colors of their skin. Dr.King defends his peaceful protests and stated that they can no longer wait, and that is not right that clergymen think they should wait, when they have not been in the position and have felt the discrimination. Dr. King uses emotional, ethical and, logical appeal to convince the clergymen that his actions are wise and justified. Dr. King uses emotional appeal, to try to persuade the clergymen that he is not an extremist as it is being said he is.
Seth Marshall Messersmith Comp 2 3/21/16 MLK Martin Luther King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail’ in 1963 while African Americans where fighting with the whites for equality. He was one of the most influential civil rights leader ever in America. He was also an American Baptist minister that had very strong Christian beliefs. What he was best known for is his acts with using nonviolent disobedience actions to lead his civil right movement due to his beliefs.
When mainly anyone thinks of the word “extreme” you will probably have a negative image or thought. Extreme is thought to be daring or rebellious maybe, but extreme can mean many different things, some of which are a good thing. Extremism is a big point in Martin Luther King Junior’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in some of his last few paragraphs. King uses different historical evidence and rhetorical strategies to appeal to his audience in different ways. It is good to use all these different strategies and devices because it gives King an advantage to appeal to his audience in different ways and persuade them in his writings.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a key leader in the civil rights movement, and is well known for his Alabama bus boycott as well as many other nonviolent forms of demonstration against segregation. He wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” from his jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama after being arrested for peaceful protesting, in 1963. This letter is a response to “Statement by Alabama Clergymen,” in which various members of the clergy criticized King’s efforts to take a stand against discrimination. Throughout paragraphs 13 and 14, King uses metaphors, antitheses, as well as a somber tone in order to appeal to pathos, to argue for the priority needed to change segregation laws.
Ty’ Keylah White Ms. Edwina Mosby English Composition I October 31, 2017 Rhetorical Analysis: Letter from Birmingham Jail Summary/Assessment: In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is responding to a few white religious leaders who stated that his nonviolent reveal against segregation was “unwise and untimely” (1). Dr. King had to be really upset at the clergymen because he rarely acknowledges criticism of his work. He states that since they brought up “outsiders coming in”, meaning that they went to the city of Birmingham to start a conflict.
“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.
It takes a hardworking individual with perseverance, leadership qualities and the willingness to make a change in society to become a human rights icon like Martin Luther King once was. Through the foundations of the appeal of logos from “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “The truly awe-inspiring accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr”, credibility is established and maintains the basic theme that Martin Luther was an inspirational figure. The significance of rhetorical analysis aids the inputs of King’s integrity and their actions support the claim in both pieces of compositions. Throughout both publications we are able to identify the purpose of the writers and their reasoning behind their arguments. Without the use of appeals, such as
Martin Luther King Jr. once declared, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that." Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. " In the 1960’s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was fighting against injustice through protests in Birmingham, Alabama. His protesting then caused him to be thrown in jail, where he was sent a letter by 8 clergymen.
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.
is written in response to a letter written by clergymen that were dealing with racial problems in Alabama. The clergymen said King's approach to segregation incites the extreme measures of hatred and violence. King’s letter showed the clergymen that the steps to desegregate the South were the most effective, and beneficial ways to come about the situation. In the letter, Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetorical devices to effectively appeal to his audience’s ethos, pathos, and logos. King uses allusions, imagery, and metaphors to effectively appeal to the clergyman.