Rhetorical Devices In Letter From Birmingham Jail

Dr. King was one of the greatest public protesters to ever live by for his unique perspective on peaceful protest. In the letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by MLK (Martin Luther King Jr.) While writing his letter, King uses rhetorical devices and appeals to develop his argument that there is racial injustice in Birmingham.

Dr. King establishes credibility by arguing and making the claim that he is not an outsider. One way that he does this is through establishing his organizational ties and he gives specific locations as well. In paragraph 2 it 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." This

Another way that he establishes he isn't an outsider is by referencing the most Christian book, the Bible. In paragraph 3 Dr. King goes on to say, "Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid." So, as you have read, Dr. King is well versed in the knowledge of the Bible and has been raised to learn and appreciate it which establishes a deeper connection through pathos. The third and final way that he establishes that he is not an outsider is by listing the interrelatedness of America. In paragraph 4 of Dr. King's letter he explains, "Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside

King claims that he and his organization were not the first to practice civil disobedience and he supported his claim with an appeal to remember what happened in Germany was legal and what happened in Hungary wasn't. First of all, the MLK and his organization were not the first to pursue civil disobedience, there would be no academic freedom without Socrates civil disobedience. In the text it talks about civil disobedience and how, "It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire." Now this shows how the most popular religion in America practiced civil disobedience. Also, this was supported by MLK's appeal about never forgetting what happened in Germany and Hungary. MLK states, "We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany." This just shows that the line between right and wrong is often blurred until further analysis by people. With the evidence provided, MLK clearly made his claim about not being the first people to practice civil