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Rhetorical Devices In Letter From Birmingham Jail

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April 16, 1963, while confined in the Birmingham city jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writes a letter. He first wants to justify his actions and thoughts, that injustice is unwise and untimely. He recalls how he believes people must abide by laws but have the right to break unjust laws. While writing his letter, King uses rhetorical devices and appeals to develop his argument that people have responsibility and can take direct action for justice. Dr. King begins to establish many things that make him credible to prove he is not an outsider, such as Organizational ties, Biblical duty, and American citizenship. He first speaks about being "President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference" which is an organization in which they frequently share staff, educational and financial resources. This emphasizes his response to criticism. Talking about the injustices in Birmingham, he then uses a simile to compare this to "Prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns." Referring to the Bible shows how he is compelled to carry his own gospel among the people. Equally important, he talks about the interrelatedness of America, which is how if there is injustice in one place, it indirectly affects other communities. He then says "Never again can we afford to live with …show more content…

For example, to explain his reasoning King uses an expert opinion, quoting St. Augustine stating "an unjust law is no law at all". This further supports King's argument that people are morally just to break unjust laws. Also, King cites the "Supreme Court's decision of 1954" which outlaws segregation in public schools, so its ironic for man to knowingly break laws. Overall, citing expert opinions and political statements further develops that people responsibly obey or disobey laws depending on the

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King uses the appeal of credible sources, through Biblical figures and historical events, to make the claim that civil disobedience is not new. He stated, "It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake." This describes in the past when laws had been refused because they were morally right. This appeals to the audience since they know what he is talking about and they can relate and agree with him. Moreover, Dr. King then says, "In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience."

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On April 16, 1963, from a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter in response to his activities being labeled "unwise and untimely". He wrote this letter to justify his actions, explain why they were needed, and explained the injustice occurring in Birmingham, Alabama to the clergymen who called his actions "unwise and untimely". He explains to the clergymen that he is there protesting the Jim Crow laws and the racial violence in Alabama. King uses several various rhetorical devices and appeals to argue the point that his actions have not been "unwise and untimely" but have, in fact, been absolutely necessary. At the beginning of his letter, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. claims that he is not an outsider and establishes his credibility through his organizational ties, his biblical duty, and the interrelatedness of America.

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