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.
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
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.
“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.
MLK Jr. wrote the letter in response to a public statement of concern to eight white religious leaders in the south. King begins with making use of logos throughout the beginning
He does so by stating that he “serv[es] as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference” which is “an organization [that] operat[es] in every southern state.” This shows that King has a professional background and is very
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.
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.
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
Letters From Birmingham City Jail On April 16th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr, a strong hearted pastor wrote in his letter entitled Letters From Birmingham City Jail discussed how protests are allowed and no illegal to anyone. He supports his claims by first questioning on why blacks deserve this struggle of equality and said freedom is a god given right. Another claim he stated was protesting normal disobedience will eventually change the world to the better and to make everyone equal. Finally, King claims he hopes that change and equality will eventually bring everyone together and unite the world for the U.S. Through King’s usage of tone, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical tools he effectually persuades the Clergymen of U.S. to consider
Direct action was the best way to go about the segregation issues in America during the civil rights movement. Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an international power. The use of pathos was very crucial in convincing people who read the message to change their ideals on segregation. Martin Luther King is writing a letter while in jail because of civil disobedience. Ethos was used on page 6 of letter from Birmingham jail “While confined here in the Birmingham city jail”.
To prove his respectable character to the eight clergymen, Martin Luther King Jr. states, “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia” (King 581). By stating who he is and what he does, King was better able to paint a picture of his credibility for the clergymen. Martin Luther King provided the readers with his achievements so they know that he is an established person, and should be treated with the same respect that any white man would receive. Along with all of Dr. King's accomplishments, he also indicates his true intentions in his letter by writing, “Whenever necessary and possible, we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates” (King 581). King provides information about the accomplishments he shares with the men, and explains that he is already a respected individual, who should be granted the same respect as anyone else.
In the first quote,”I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.” He uses words “serving” and “ president.” The word “serving” is important because it shows how he is humble and it makes a connection to the clergymen. Clergymen serve in the Christian church and Dr. King is explaining to them that he too serves the church just in a different way. This is also a way for Dr. King to call them out for not helping their black brothers in Christ.
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.
