What Is The Rhetorical Appeal In Letter From Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote to his fellow clergymen and supporters as “A Call for Unity” as he sat in a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama. King had been placed under arrest due to participating in a peaceful march against segregation on property that he did not have permission to be on. During this time, in the 1960’s, the Southern part of the United States was ruled under the Jim Crow Laws which enforced legal segregation throughout the region. By using techniques such as self-presentation, emotional appeal and rational appeal, King is able to defend his non-violent strategy and resistance to the oppression and racism by declaring that people have the moral responsibility to break unjust laws in a peaceful manner. Using the rhetorical appeal

He reiterates to create a persona within his readers by communicating his love for the church, and his long family history of clergymen. His cool, even tone conveys to the audience that he is not condemning them, as people, but rather urging them to see that their actions are unjust. The technique he used to present himself helps him to relate to his readers and shows again that he is credible and trustworthy

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. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating