Rhetorical Devices In Letter From Birmingham Jail

On April 16th, 1963, in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a serious speech. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which was written while he was incarcerated, is addressed to the clergymen who wrote “A Call to Unity” conveying their notion that civil rights should be earned through the court system, not protesting. King's purpose in writing his response was to justify his actions and create an argument for change. In writing his letter, King uses rhetorical devices and appeals to develop his argument.

Dr. King uses Ethos to establish his credibility. He rebuttals the clergymen's claims of there being an uprising of outsiders by saying he was in Birmingham for a reason. He says he is "president of the Southern Christian Leadership

King can provide insight to those who don't fully understand why he should create an argument for change. He makes the claim that civil disobedience is not new. He alludes to the Bible when he talks about how, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake." It may seem as though they should have just gone along with the law. The easy way out would be to bow down to the king. But they did not, either. These three knew they had to stand by their morals, even if it seemed no one would support them. They would rather be cast out into fire than throw away what they stood for. King also alludes to a dispute between the Romans and the Christians. King states, "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." Again, there were faithful people willing to give their lives for what they thought was right. Not only did they sacrifice for themselves, but for those who came after them. It paves a way for the future to deal with different issues instead of always being caught in a cycle of mindless law abiding behavior. Just as these God fearing people gave their lives for change, so have those who fought racial injustice. In expressing the importance of civil disobedience through allusions, King can reach more people who might agree with his argument for change. This

King has mentioned many Biblical figures. Ones that inspire bravery and morality. This shows a switch in the rhetorical devices used. Before, he used ethos and logos. Now, he has begun to use pathos, which is the appeal to emotions. He speaks of the rest of the body of Christ. He points out those who claim God as their own, but do not aid their brothers and sisters. In looking at the various religious settings where this takes place, King asks, "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices..." He wants to know where these people were when there were those in their very community in need. Why have they not used their voices to support the oppressed? The idleness of these people could very well be the downfall of America. This type of language used is meant to pull on the reader's heartstrings, and convince them to do the right thing. If those who are powerful enough to stand don't stand for those who aren't, they are just the same as the oppressors. Even so, this does not cause the King to lose faith in the body of Christ. Although his opinion of the church has not been soiled, he knows people have "blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists." The people who claim to be of Christ have damaged that name through their injustice and fear. They don't want to be rejected by society, so they become the rejectors. This is the very opposite of what Christ stood for. In forsaking