Rhetorical Analysis Of Mlk Letter From Birmingham Jail

Letter from Birmingham jail was one of the famous document in the twenty century written by Martin Luther King, Jr. In order to address people in the society. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American pastor, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs (web). King also helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech (web). There, he established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history (web). In the letter he wrote from Birmingham jail, he was able to state his reason

Martin Luther KING, Jr. Was able to build his argument and make it stronger by letting his opinion known by reply the clergymen. King addresses his audience in his letter from being emotional, moral and religious.

Martin Luther king was being emotional in his letter which was regarded as pathos by Ramage, John and Johnson et al, in their book titled “writing arguments, a rhetoric with readings” as part of the way to let his audience know what he was passing through and the reason while justice should reign. He evokes this by his quotes “Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic

During his response to the clergy by saying “'My Dear Fellow Clergymen” (584). That he might be in jail, but he still maintains his status and position as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which makes his belief in God, this will be console his Christian readers and letting them know he was only fighting for justice in a non violent way. King accepted the label of being an extremist by comparing himself with Jesus “Jesus who was an extremist for love, truth and goodness”(page 591) and other biblical references like “The early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the Church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society”( page 593). All the above listed listed examples are great to use in solidifying argument and to carry readers along with the