...Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a knowledgeable speaker, letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963) defends himself against the eight clergymen in which he explains his motive towards civil rights and tries to justify the needs for nonviolent actions. Dr. King’s primary focus was to answer the criticism of the church leaders. His secondary audience was the white moderate and the religious population. Dr King’s letter addresses that the white attitudes towards African Americans were hostile as they were unable to accept the civil rights movement, especially in the South. Throughout the letter, he uses various literary and rhetorical devices to justify his actions and show why they should not be illegal. King creates an irritated tone in this letter, to proclaim his annoyance to the clergymen who were criticizing him. He feels he...
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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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...its interest of reading might be. The audience in writing is defined by the person or group of people that is reading or listening to a certain choice of writing. Depending on what kind of writing genre is presented, determines the audience of the writer and how the writer choose to reach his or her audience. In order for a writer to reach a particular audience, the writer has to be able to compose his writing. The writer can do so in such a way that a rhetorical situation is formulated in a particular genre which reflects the type of audience that it interests. A rhetorical situation is situations in which a story and a scenario is presented and explains a situation that could possible occur in real life, therefore giving a situation in which the reader can assume the outcome; a certain form of communication to entail a situation. Different genres may include rhetorical situations, for example, in a horror movie a killer may stalk a college student day in and day out. The situation is considered rhetorical because although the situation is occurring in a fictional setting “a movie” it’s also a situation that can possibly happen in real life. You can assume that eventually the student is going...
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...Rhetorical Analysis Martin Luther King’s inspiration for writing his, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was mainly to appeal to an undeniable injustice that occurred during his time. His letter was in response tos eight white clergymen, who objected to King protesting in Birmingham. Dr. King effectively crafted his counterargument after analyzing the clergymen’s unjust proposals and then he was able to present his rebuttal. Dr. King effectively formed his counterargument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen and then using logos, pathos and egos to present his own perspective on his opponent’s statements. The majority of the sentences in King’s letter can be connected to logos, pathos or ethos and his incorporation of appeals is masterful. On more than one occasion, King uses various strategies to appeal to his audience, in the letter he writes, “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.” In this excerpt, King presents his ethos very tactically. The Alabama clergy presents him as an outsider in the letter, but demonstrating his ethos, King presents himself as an insider. He is not just a man who chose to protest in an outside community, but is in fact the president of the Conference. He...
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...Letter From Birmingham Jail Vs. “I Have a Dream Speech” The first way that a “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and “ I have a Dream” differ are in their intended audience, as one is intended for a group of white clergymen while the other is intended to rally a large group. This difference in audience and how Dr. King chooses to appeal to each of his audiences causes for the choices in language and the purpose of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and “I have a Dream” to differ. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is addressed to white clergymen, and the purpose of the letter is to defend the demonstrations that were taking place. As Dr. King is trying to defend the demonstrations to these white clergymen, his language choice is quite interesting. One brilliant way that he chooses to defend the demonstrations is by appealing to the white men through his choice of Anglo terms. For instance, in the letter, Dr. King writes, “Just as the prophets of the eighth century century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saint the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home towns…I am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town” (King). This choice of wording makes Dr. King’s argument stronger since as these white men disagree with Dr. King and his form of peaceful protest, the white clergymen will not be able to argue back because he is using religious references that if the white men chose to argue against, it would make them look like hypocrites (Eubank). While...
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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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...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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...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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...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 strategies of quoting...
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...Nick Genaris Professor Ngoh Protest Literature 21th October 2015 Letter from Birmingham Jail-Rhetorical Analysis Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in order to address the biggest issue in Birmingham and the United States at the time (racism) and to also address the critics he received from the clergymen. The letter discusses the great injustices happening toward the Black community in Birmingham and although it is primarily aimed at the clergymen King writes the letter for all to read. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. uses logos, alliteration/repetition, and ethos to back up his belief that nonviolent protesting and disobedience is the most effective means to protest anything that needs to be changed, in this case segregation. After reading King’s letter I, and almost anyone, would come to the conclusion that King is deeply motivated to help against any injustice in the US. Who else would go to such lengths if they didn’t? He knows how persuasive he can be by using his knowledge of the English language, and he uses this to speak out against people who doubt him (clergymen) and to incite a different way of thinking into the people in hopes of change. Dr. King’s letter is extremely effective because it provides an enormous amount of evidence to the reader that he and his company are being treated unjustly and also that King truly cares about making a change for the good of the city. It also re-directs attention...
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...13). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to a prejudiced world where segregation was not only permitted, but encouraged. Dr.King was a Baptist minister and an activist who was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement that began in 1954 and ended in 1968 when King was assassinated. King was assassinated in Memphis, 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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...A Rhetorical Analysis of “Letter From Birmingham Jail” The Constitution of the United States of America states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The First Amendment of the constitution goes on further to state, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there-of; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” In light of these, “Truths” that our country was founded on it is unimaginable that at the time “Letter From Birmingham Jail” was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. he was, in fact, serving time in a narrow jail cell for his participation in non violent demonstrations. These demonstrations were an attempt to win these previously proclaimed “Rights” for the Negro populace not only in his time but for all time to come. King, in his response to the criticisms of eight white religious leaders of the south’s statement calling his actions, “unwise and untimely,” has the well designed approach of appealing to his audience on all levels engaging their logic, emotions and most importantly the very ethical nature of the issues facing the Negros in the 1960’s. An Example of King’s logic at work comes almost immediately as he details...
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...Martin Luther King states his understanding of legitimate concern and anxiety over the fact of breaking a law or performing unlawful actions. We are taught and brought up to obey laws and regulations brought forward by the government. It certainly is not a common thing to be breaking laws and performing these actions willingly. How a person determines breaking a certain law but yet to obey others is a advocating concern of many. Two types of laws stand forward in our government which entails a law and an unjust law. (3). Summary of “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Martin Luther King addresses segregation and unjust laws in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” What is moral and what is just is seen different for all individuals. Individual rights are to be protected and sometimes extreme measures are needed to be made. These extreme measures are seen through the braveness of the public standing up for what they believe to be right and just. Unfortunately this sometimes does lead to laws being broken. Doing the right thing is not always the easiest way out of a situation as seen in past history. Things do not change if not change is brought...
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...Insight Text Guide Sue Tweg King Lear William Shakespeare contents Character map Overview About the author Synopsis Character summaries iv 1 1 2 4 Background & context Genre, structure & language Scene-by-scene analysis Characters & relationships Themes, ideas & values Different interpretations Questions & answers Sample answer References & reading 6 10 14 24 39 55 59 64 66 iv I ns i g h t T e x t G u i d e ChARACTeR mAp Edgar Legitimate son of Gloucester, disguises himself as ‘Poor Tom’. Leads Gloucester to Dover, fights and kills Edmond, becomes king. Wise fools Companions in storm Kent Truth-teller. Disguises himself as ‘Caius’. Loyal, noble servant to Lear. Offends via discourtesy to Lear Match wits Defends, speaks boldly Defends and helps Teaches patience and saves father’s life Fool Truth-teller; endures the storm. Is possibly hanged. Teaches Lear compassion Cordelia Truth-teller. Youngest daughter, loves Lear and heals him. Loses battle and is hanged in prison. Loves Loves Offers kingdom to Edgar – accepted Gloucester Believes Edmond’s lies about Edgar. Saved from suicide by Edgar after Edmond has cause his blinding by betraying him to Cornwall. Needs Foolish old fathers meet in storm Blinds King Lear Divides his kingdom, rejects Cordelia, rejected by Gonerill and Regan. Goes mad, healed after storm by Cordelia. Dies after Cordelia is hanged. Fails to show Lear how to value Cordelia King of France...
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...A, THE BRITISH ACADEMY SOMERSET HISTORICAL ESSAYS SOMERSET HISTORICAL ESSAYS By J. Armitage Robinson, D.D, Fellow of the British Academy Dean of Wells 1921 London: Published for the British Academy By Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press Amen Corner, E.C. PRINTED IN ENGLAND AT THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS BY FREDERICK HALI, 76$ J 9 2/ PREFACE The writer of these pages makes no claim to be a historian, but he is concerned with the materials which go to the construction of true history. Occasionally he is led to revise the verdicts of historians on the ground of a renewed investigation of some isolated problem, or in the light of fuller information which has but lately become available. He hopes that he has done this with sufficient modesty. As a rule he has avoided direct controversy and has preferred a positive presentation of the revised position. He is well aware that when offered thus silently the corrections he desires to make are less likely to attract immediate attention than if he directly challenged fallacies which shelter under honoured names. But he writes from mere love of the subjects to which he has been drawn by the circumstances of his position and by local patriotism ; and he has experienced more than once the temporary blindness pro- duced by the dust of conflict. On the other hand he asks for criticism, ...
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