...Devin Ponder Eng291-001 13 September 2013 Rhetorical Analysis Rhetorical Analysis of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” by Martin Luther King, Jr., is a letter in which King is writing to his “fellow clergymen” in a response to their recent criticism of the actions he was leading in Birmingham at the time. The letter was written in April of 1963, a time when segregation was essentially at a peak in the south. Birmingham, in particular, is described by King as “probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States” (King 7). King goes on to inform the clergymen of the reality of the situation where he is and how waiting isn’t an option anymore. In the letter, King uses a variety of rhetorical strategies to accomplish the task of appealing to the readers from a logical standpoint. King first establishes his credibility to answer the clergymen by naming his personal title and comparing himself to such a higher historical authority as the apostle Paul. King uses repetition of his personal experiences in Birmingham to describe the situation from an emotional standpoint. By stating his credibility and giving his personal experiences, King gives the readers no choice but to listen to what his reasoning is behind his actions taken in Birmingham. He does so by describing how he has dealt with the situation in Birmingham appropriately using the four basic steps of any nonviolent campaign, and defining what those are. By coordinating the rhetorical...
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...Rhetorical Analysis of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” quoted by Martin Luther King Jr. He was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. During the civil rights protests, he was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama because for protesting without a permit. Some realized arresting Dr. King is the best idea. However, Dr. King did not let jail block his...
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...Critical Analysis Essay “Letter from Birmingham Jail” In arguing, writers use different techniques to effectively convey their message to their intended audience. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was a response to "A Call for Unity" by eight white clergymen in which King’s presence in Birmingham and his methods of public demonstration were questioned. King’s letter was not only a response to his presence in Birmingham, but he also used the opportunity to address the unjust proposals by the clergymen that Negroes wait for the legal system to abolish segregation and unjust laws. King uses rhetorical modes of persuasion such as ethos, pathos and logos to meticulously address and discredit the claims made by the eight white clergymen. Throughout his letter, King also makes many comparisons to effectively illustrate how the Negro pursuit of freedom was timely. To answer the question of his presence in Birmingham, King uses both ethos and pathos to explain why he is qualified to be present leading the demonstrations. To argue the perception of him being “an outsider coming in”, King first states that because he has organizational ties in Birmingham, he has an obligation to be available whenever he is needed. This statement discredits the notion that he is an outsider. To lay the foundation of his argument, King states, “But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.” This statement is used to make King’s presence seem less personal...
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...Tennessee during one of his many protests to end segregation. As King writes the letter, he appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos numerously by using techniques such as parallelism, repetition, rhetorical questions, metaphors, similes, and allusions to construct a strong effective argument. “The Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written in 1963 from King’s jail cell in Alabama to clarify his reasoning for refusing to obey the laws of his time by constructing and leading nonviolent protests. Within the first paragraphs of his letter to the eight white clergymen, King first uses the appeal to ethos strongly to captivate the minds and attention of his audience. In paragraph two of “The Letter from Birmingham Jail” beginning on page 800, King appeals to ethos to ensure credibility and...
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...Rhetorical Analysis: “Letter from Birmingham Jail” On April 12, 1963 eight clergymen wrote a letter to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that showed their disapproval of the demonstrations that were going on in Birmingham, Alabama. The clergymen were complaining that the demonstrations led by Dr. King and his affiliates went against Birmingham Laws and “incited hatred and violence.” A few days later Dr. King wrote a response letter while temporarily confined in a Birmingham jail. The letter demonstrated the intellectual power that Dr. King had of rhetorically appealing to his audiences. He effectively used the ethos, pathos, and logos appeals to explain the reasons why the demonstrations were necessary in order to make a change in Birmingham. Dr. King establishes his credibility, or uses the ethos appeal, effectively when he writes that “I have the honor of serving President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. We have eighty-five affiliated organizations…” He listed these organizations so he can gain trust from the clergymen and also to make his argument stronger. He named his supreme position because this means that somebody or a group of people most likely appointed him to the position. This shows that somebody had to trust him to be responsibility for such a large organization. Dr. King also used allusions to appeal to his audience with more authority, or ethos. He establishes more credibility when he alluded to the Apostle Paul by writing “…just as the Apostle...
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...The Letter from Birmingham Jail is addressed to the clergymen who criticized the actions of Dr. King during their protests in Birmingham. First he addresses that he was called an outsider who has come to Birmingham to cause trouble (170). He defends his character in a serious but modest tone by showing that his organization SCLC operates throughout the South to insure justice for all and that some of the members had invited the organization to Birmingham. However he then elaborates more on the moral reason for his presence saying that he came to Birmingham to battle “injustice.” Because he believes that “all communities and states” are interrelated, he feels compelled to work for justice anywhere that injustice is being practiced. Dr. King...
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...status quo drove him to react in the most effective way possible, which was peaceful resistance. In “Letters from a Birmingham Jail”, King refutes a statement made by several prominent clergyman who believed that the time had not yet come for the current ways to be changed. The clergymen condemned the direct action being taken in the Civil Rights movement, because these sit ins and marches were often catalysts for violence. King counters this by saying, “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.” He is saying that his method of peaceful resistance is crucial to bring social issues front and center so that they may be resolved. Though direct action may sometimes bring about the unintended outcome of violence, “there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for opposed violent tension”. King believes that tension does not have to equate to violence. Tension is merely the active opposition of two sides to an issue. In a free society, where personal opinions are valued, it is erroneous to assume that tension is always unhealthy and leads to conflict. If there is tension present, then a possibility for compromise also exists. King’s purpose in creating tension through peaceful resistance is merely change. Throughout King’s letter, he often acknowledges the unjustness of American law, and how “sometimes a law is just on its face and...
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...but also giving himself and others a purpose in ending the suffering created by violence and discrimination. In Letter From a Birmingham Jail, King claims, “I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are at present misunderstood...We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands” (6). Even if the hardships that King and his followers are going through at the moment do not end soon, he is still willing to continue the fight until the message is truly understood and change can occur on a larger scale. They are not shying away from the present danger, because they believe that their movement will eventually lead to their demands for equality being met. In Letter From a Birmingham Jail, King discusses nonviolent tactics, “I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends” (7). By using nonviolent practices, King is creating a pure and moral form of protest, that takes the focus and dedication of a whole and well person. While the personality of this individual may be nonviolent, they had to face many abuses by the public in an attempt to break them away from this ideal. In Letter From a Birmingham Jail, King contends, “One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the...
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...has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” Civil disobedience can be valuable and promote social progress when used for valid reasons. However, when using disobedience for invalid reasons, it promotes wrongdoings instead of social progress. Humans must differentiate between progress and ignorance to positively impact a free society. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, he argued that peaceful debates and arguments would put an end to segregation. King was a devout Christian member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and a...
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...“A Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. was written in the margins of a letter posted by the clergymen of Alabama at this time that sparked his interest and while he inhabited the jail cell for parading around without a permit. This time allowed him the ability to respond wholeheartedly to this cynical oppressing. King’s letter addresses specific points presented in the Clergymen’s and this direct response distinguishes King’s strong points through his powerful writing. Unethical and immoral mentions came to the attention of the Minister through the letter, and he expressed his differing views and defended his ideals and actions through Aristotle’s three rhetorical devices, ethos, logos, and pathos. First and foremost, King establishes his credibility to spark off his strong defense. Introducing himself as “The President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. … [with] eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights” (“Letter from Birmingham Jail” 2). This credential not only puts King into a position of power but also proves that he has seen enough of the south and the problems within it to create a strong argument against his opposition. Another point that establishes this is on page seven of “Letter From Birmingham Jail” where King states that he’s traveled through the “length and...
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...that makes a man a free human being. During the time of racial segregation African Americans could be divested of housing, partaking at eateries, voting, and practically even citizenship. This treatment went on for one hundred years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves. These people could not be heard until a preacher from Atlanta, GA expressed his ideals on the issue of unfair racial discrimination. This man was named Martin Luther King Jr. During his life he addressed the cruelty of discrimination by leading nonviolent protests throughout the South; he was the leader of the civil rights movement for African Americans, and he had led Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Letter from Birmingham Jail," powerfully written by Martin Luther King Jr. with convincing and influential language, inspired countless individuals towards contesting for the equality of mankind....
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...A Letter From a Birmingham Jail The Civil Rights Movement was a pivotal turning point in the battle for equal rights for African Americans. Among the many leaders and supporters of the movement, one of the most notable activists of all was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King dedicated most of his life to the fight for equal rights. He did this through the use of nonviolent direct action. Although his actions were appreciated by many, just as many people were annoyed, offended, and disagreed with his actions. Consequently, King ended up in jail numerous times. However, upon his arrest in Birmingham, Alabama for demonstrating without a permit, King decided to utilize his time in jail to write a letter to certain clergymen who criticized his actions. In this letter, King addresses his thoughts, feelings, actions, and the criticism that he was subjected to by his fellow clergymen. Through the creation of this letter, Martin Luther King Jr. has created an influential and thought provoking piece of literature. While incarcerated, Dr. King had lots of time to collect his thoughts. After thinking about everything that had happened and about all the things that have yet to happen led King to write a letter discussing all of theses things. This letter clearly states King's goal multiple times. He writes, “But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here (King 1).” He goes on to write, “Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for help (King 1).” In those...
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...A Little Jail-Bird Told Me The pen is mightier than the sword. This saying emphasizes that words are stronger than violent actions. Martin Luther King Jr. believed strongly in this saying. Being a leader of the civil rights movement, King believed in peaceful protests over violent protests. He was a kind hearted man peacefully fighting for equal rights of black and white people. At one point, his focus was Birmingham. Birmingham was thoroughly segregated and treated blacks worse than most areas. While in Birmingham, King was arrested. While in jail, King wrote a letter in response to criticism he received from white clergymen. In this letter, Martin Luther King Jr. uses a friendly, non-hostile tone mixed with a list of undisputable facts to calmly, yet assertively point out his issues with racial dilemmas. Right in the intro of the letter, King starts with a friendly and hospitable tone. He respectfully states, “…since I feel you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.” (King 1). Here, he keeps a calm tone, but his use of the word “hope” can be inferred to show that his letter may at some points become stern and serious, showing that he isn’t going to easily budge on his stance on the civil rights movement. Right away he makes it clear he is not hostile at all. He speaks respectably in order to be respected, which is not exactly common for a black...
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...Sam Brackin Beth Miller English 101 (30474) June 29, 2017 Letter from Birmingham Jail Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writes a letter to eight fellow clergymen that he titled “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” King writes this letter while he is in jail in Birmingham, Alabama. In this letter he addresses the men who said he was “unwise and untimely” He goes over his activities and why they are not “unwise and untimely” In order to understand King’s concept of justice, let us examine the difference between just unjust laws, his disappointment in church, and the danger of “white moderate.” King’s concept of justice is his distinction between just and unjust laws. “Some people believed that an unjust law was not a law at all. King on the other hand felt different about this. “A just law was a man made code that squares with the law of God.” “An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.” The moral code of conduct makes just and unjust laws King says. There are many different methods King uses to explain just and unjust laws. He says segregation to him is an unjust law....
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...Rhetorical Analysis of The Letter from Birmingham Jail Influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement and active agitator for justice, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. in his letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, argues passionately that injustice anywhere automatically creates the timely situation for organized retaliation in seeking freedom for the oppressed. King was arrested and placed in Birmingham Jail after a peaceful protest in downtown Birmingham. King was “the foremost civil rights leader in America in the 1950s and 1960s” (Kirszner and Mandell 799). “An ordained minister who held a doctorate in theology, King was the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference” (799). “King and his followers met opposition not only from white moderates but also from some African-American clergymen who thought King was a troublemaker.” King’s opposition labeled his demonstrations and acts against segregation as “untimely”, “unwise”, and...
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