ipl-logo

Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King

983 Words4 Pages

The Various Effects of Racism on African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King, the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, visits Birmingham in order to protest the unjust treatment of African Americans. However, while he is there, he is jailed for 8 days under the indictment of protesting without a permit. A group of clergymen inadvertently address him and his objective, criticizing the morals of the demonstrators. King replies in a lengthy letter, explaining why the time for African Americans rights is long overdue, and addresses multiple complaints of the clergymen. In paragraph 14 from Martin Luther King's “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King bombards his audience with depictions of gruesome violence, personal …show more content…

King describes the severity of the brutality African Americans face to expose the clergymen to the harsh reality. He wants the clergymen to understand the depth of the hatred the community faces regularly. “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity;…” King draws a parallel between “mothers and fathers” and “sisters and brothers” to bring out the physical relations one has in order to show that the violence is so close to home for each African American. King mentions the “vicious mobs” lynching people at will to portray how disgusting it is that such gruesome acts have become normalized. He also employs repetition of inhumane treatment African Americans receive, stating policemen “curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill” to show that cruelty against black Americans is so common, even police can be found doing such vulgar acts. King attempts to establish common ground that such brutality is blatantly wrong, and essentially implies that violence against Black Americans is nothing out of the ordinary, and is simply …show more content…

King elaborates on the numerous daunting effects discrimination has, to show how mentally challenging racism can be. “…when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored";...when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a *****… and plagued with inner fears and outer resentments;…” King draws a contrast between “harried by day” and “haunted by night” to highlight that discrimination disturbs them throughout all hours of the day. He also mentions the "nagging signs" to convey that the signs torment them as a constant reminder of their supposed inferiority by including the evident distinction between “whites” and “colored.” Furthermore, King details being “plagued with inner fears and outer resentments” to show him being distressed at heart with frustrations which in turn causes built up bitterness. He ultimately vents all of psychological exasperation in the hopes of relaying the discouraging effects of

Show More
Related
1921 Words | 8 Pages

This is critical because it gives a sense of urgency. The description of the “...quicksand of racial injustice” and the “...solid rock of human dignity...” paints a picture of the real-life issues of society. Moreover, King also uses pathos and emotional language to get the reader's attention. In addition, it pulls at the reader’s heartstrings. Dr. King uses words such as “destructively” and “appalling silence” to help us understand what King is trying to convey.

Read More
1074 Words | 5 Pages

King's careful choice of words are used to sway the reader's sympathy for blacks and to increase the morale of the discriminated. King uses parallelism to add balance and rhythm to his rhetoric. He writes of his own problems that may apply to the daily struggles of the abused African

Read More
1031 Words | 5 Pages

Pain and suffering which resulted in Kings action to protest and denounce these injustices. Pain and suffering which came from the killing of innocent African American children who were caught in the midst of hate. Suffering that came with when the killers of the innocent girls killed in the church bombing were set free just because they were white. Pain from a justice system that only served the whites but left the people of color out and were treated badly because of the color of their skin. King is trying to convey the messages that is not time to wait but to act because they a tired of the

Read More
1494 Words | 6 Pages

He denounces the unproportioned use of force against the blacks “if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls;” that attracts the audience into the situation while creating a sense of urgency and emotions. King, by the same token, continues to clarify that “if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes.” in order to persuade the clergymen to encounter the undeniable fact at the point of time when Negroes are defined as flaws in human being. King appeals to the pathos of his readers and the clergy men to adopt some sense of concern with his argument. He ends this section with “I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith.

Read More
724 Words | 3 Pages

Through his use of anaphora in this paragraph, King emphasizes a need for social change after illustrating the brutality suffered by the black population in America. Moreover, the use of pathos helps the white clergymen relate to the black American’s desire for freedom by connecting similar drives for independence. King understands that both white and black people hold independence dearly, and both believe “Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom” (King 7.)

Read More
1235 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout King’s letter, he incorporated different rhetorical appeals, such as pathos, to make the audience understand the harsh treatment African Americans were subjected to each day. In his letter King emphasized, “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society... (King 3).” This piece of evidence describes the brutality that was

Read More
607 Words | 3 Pages

Whether it was between the various bombings of African American households, offensive and racist segregational legislation, or the prevalent consistency of discrimination against colored people throughout the entire history of the United States, certain individuals like Martin Luther King Jr. assured their energy would be spent battling against the racial discrimination during the 1960s. Consequently, King’s efforts to non-violently protest still led to his imprisonment in Birmingham City on charges that had violated Alabama’s legislation against mass public demonstrations. While imprisoned at the Birmingham City Jail, King utilized any sort of material to compose his own literary wrath in response to white-clergymen who had previously criticized

Read More
895 Words | 4 Pages

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.

Read More
729 Words | 3 Pages

also utilizes anaphora to emphasize the importance of the issue and acknowledge it. Many people have told King and his supporters that it is not the right time and they need to wait. In response, he explains just how badly colored people are treated and why they can’t “wait”. He knows these white clergymen can never fully understand the hardship created by segregation and discrimination. To illustrate it for them he lists off the injustices, from the emotional pain of explaining racism to his kids, to examples of lynching and extreme police brutality.

Read More
635 Words | 3 Pages

When speaking of the unjust happening, he expresses, “We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: ‘For Whites Only’”. (pg 2) King brings to light the extent of racism they experience and uses children to touch people in a different way. This treatment towards African Americans goes beyond what is shown. Additionally, when speaking of life as a black individual, King states, “We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highway.” (pg2)

Read More
1079 Words | 5 Pages

Yet, King does not display any hatred. His overall tone is passionate, assertive, and respectful. King has so much love for the people willing to support his cause, and the agony that they suffer will not go unnoticed. “I don't believe you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its angry violent dogs literally biting six unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I don't believe you would so quickly commend the policemen if you would observe their ugly and inhuman treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you would watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you would see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys, if you would observe them, as they did on two occasions, refusing to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together.”

Read More
1013 Words | 5 Pages

He places the strong authority of the declaration on his side to show how the American people are in contradiction to their own “sacred obligation” and the Negros have gotten a “bad check.” A metaphor representing the unfulfilled promise of human rights for the African Americans. King skillfully evokes an emotional response from all races with the use of religion: “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” By doing this he finds a common ground that brings black and whites closer with a common belief in God they share, as well as the mention of

Read More
806 Words | 4 Pages

The intro to King's book can be split into three individual sections, each having its own meaning. The first describes the poor living conditions for a black boy and a black girl. In the following section, King reminds the audience of

Read More
1111 Words | 5 Pages

This reference in particular evokes the strongest emotional response from black people because many African Americans revered Lincoln for his decision to sign the revolutionary Emancipation Proclamation, and how the document symbolized a free future for slaves--the ancestors of the blacks in the crowd. But the next few lines following this allusion also persuades those ignorant of how little things have changed by highlighting the “manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” that blacks still suffer from despite the hundred year gap. Here, he uses the connotations of “manacles” and “chains” to evoke a negative emotional response from the audience, especially from those unaware of the need to change, causing their opinion to match the speaker’s: against segregation. Additionally, King weaves biblical allusions into his speech to appeal to the Christians within the crowd. He uses the “dark and desolate valley of segregation” to illustrate the injustice African Americans have endured for centuries and juxtapositions it with the “sunlit path of racial justice” to exemplify a future where true freedom exists for

Read More
1229 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout his speech he implies a lot of metaphors to make his speech effective and influencing. For example, King constantly describes the Negroes as being “crippled” by the “manacles of segregation”, “Storms of Persecution,” and “chains of discrimination.” Through these metaphors King indicates the crises the Negroes face. A few of King’s strongest metaphors are his references to prejudice: “the quick sands of racial injustice”, the “heat of oppression”, “the dark and desolate valleys of segregation”, and the “chains of discrimination.” King also indicates the unbearable inequality by creating an image: “the sweltering summer of the negro’s discontent.”

Read More

More about Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King

Related Topics

Open Document