Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

In Dr. King’s letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), King strongly implies that American society has a moral responsibility to break laws that are unjust because Americans cannot wait forever for justice to come through the courts. King opens with a tone that is assertive, yet respectful, with formality in mind, King makes his letter sophisticated, and finally reminds the nine religious leaders what he is really doing with logic. The reason for King’s letter is to persuade people to invoke the much-needed change to the justice system. Dr. King adopts a stern, yet respectful tone when addressing the nine religious leaders' ideas throughout the letter. Throughout his letter, Dr. King urges the audience to act on the unjust laws that are against

If Dr. King does not assert his words, then no one will take him seriously. Without a tone that is tough, then the letter would not have the same effect. Even though King is forceful with his tone, he is also respectful. King answers the complaints calmly and attentively. When the religious leaders say that King and his church are outsiders making their way in, King answers with logic and reason. “I have organizational ties here.” (line 13). Due to the fact that his tone is compelling, yet regardful, King writes this letter with formality in mind. The letter was well thought out, due to him having some time to think. Speech is logical and contains emotions that make people think. With all of this in mind, it makes the letter all the more impactful. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” (line 20). He feels that he needs to do something about all of the injustices in America because injustice will ultimately take over the freedoms that are established. King makes sure to tie in emotions and logic, which really points to the fact that he was thoughtful with his diction. With logistics in mind, King was able to convince his audience that what he was doing was not wrong, but rather