In April of 1963, locked in a Birmingham jail, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation”. In Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail he accurately displays his distinctive ability to influence public opinion by appropriating ideas from the Bible, the Constitution, and other canonical texts (Autobiography); by establishing his credibility, appealing to the audience’s logic, and invoking the emotional aspects of the African-American plight in this era. Within this letter, Dr. King starts out by establishing his creditability to the clergymen for whom he is writing, with statements like “I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth”, and “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” (King). It is in statements like these that he ultimately says to his audience, I am an equal, I stand for the same things you do. These clergymen questioned Dr. King’s methods of protest even though they stated that they ultimately supported his cause. In order to initially obtain their already broken trust, Dr. King appeals to them as colleagues by using scripture and key people within the Bible’s text to capture their attention and regain their trust; with points like “Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of c... ... middle of paper ... ... an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?" (King). Furthermore, by establishing his credibility, appealing to the audience’s logic, and invoking the emotional aspects of the African-American plight in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to assert that his activities in Birmingham, Alabama were wise and timely. “What else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters; think long thoughts and pray long prayers” (King). Works Cited Carlson, Clayborn. "King, Martin Luther, Jr. (1929-1968)." King Institute Home. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. . King, Jr., Martin L. "Letter from Birmingham Jail." English 121 Readings. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. 112-26. Print.
In 1963, Martin Luther King wrote a response to clergymen who criticized his actions while he was stuck in the Birmingham city jail. This letter, titled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, was written on the side of a newspaper and secretly taken out of jail by King’s lawyer. The goal of this letter was to address and confront concerns that were brought up in the clergymen’s letter titled, “A Call for Unity”. In “A Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King asserts a strong emotional appeal on the clergymen who oppose his actions by placing guilt on them when he inserts Biblical references periodically throughout his letter.
Jr., Martin Luther King. "Letter from Birmingham Jail." College, Pikes Peak Community. English 121 Readings. Boston/NewYork: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2010. 112-126.
In the touching, influential letter, Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. responds to the white, Alabama clergymen who condemned his movement as “unwise and untimely” (1) and delineates his motives for traveling to Birmingham, where whites consider him an “outsider” (1). Hoping to express his ambition of nonviolent protest in a sympathetic, deferential manner, he implores the white clergy to join the struggle for Civil Rights. Throughout the letter, he addresses and disputes against each negative argument by the whites, testifying his position unpretentiously, yet confidently. With aptitude, poise, and humility, King establishes his motives for coming to such an unwelcoming environment. In his heart-rending letter, King’s coherent logos, stimulating rhetorical questions, and accentuating parallel structure express to the white moderates who criticized his actions that nonviolent, direct protest is not only essential, but also inevitable to contain agitated hostility and to assume relative peace.
After being arrested in downtown Birmingham on a Good Friday, Reverend Martian Luther King Jr. wrote his famous letter, “A Letter From Birmingham Jail” responding to the criticism demonstrated by eight prominent white clergymen. This letter has been found important through out history because it expresses King’s feelings towards the un-just event and it is an example of a well-written argument.
In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. uses his personal experience to convince others of the importance of revising the segregation laws that were in place during 1960’s. In paragraphs 13 and 14 in particular, there is a lot of language used to persuade the reader’s opinions and emotions toward King’s argument. He does this not only convince his fellow clergymen, but to inform others of the reality that African Americans faced in the 60’s.
King, Martin Luther Jr. “Letter from the Birmingham jail.” Why We Can't Wait 1963: 77-100.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. one of many great influential speakers wrote a life changing letter after being arrested for peacefully protesting African American rights. While sitting in jail Dr. King received a letter from clergymen questioning his motives and timings for being in Birmingham. In a response Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. writes a “Letter from Birmingham Jail” vividly expressing physical and emotional purposes for his presence in Birmingham, AL.
also intertwines his use of ethos into his “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” He is very sly at how he has constructed his letter and the way he responds to the clergymen. In Michael Osborn's essay, he mentions that the clergymen treated Dr. King with disrespect and not as an equal to them(26). King was a pastor and the President of a major Christian organization known as the SCLC ; therefore, he had expected to be named so. After having read the clergymen's letter, he knew that if he did not respond now and take a stand for society then he would run out of time and this window to respond would close (Patton 54). While in the midst of writing King's letter, he knows that it is important for him to treat the clergymen as an equal. Some say that he disrespects the clergymen but he is just trying to make his point clear that we all are equal, even though our skin color may not be the same. Within the letter King "asserted his identity and claims his seat at their table, whether welcome or not" (Osborn 26). King asserts his morals and ethic values very well into his paper and that it helps to support his credibility in his
One day, in a building of concrete and bars, a pen met paper in hope that a change would be made. A letter was scribed; then placed in an envelope addressed to clergymen. Martin Luther King’s letter was written in 1963 from the Birmingham City Jail. He was in jail because he didn’t have a permit to parade—but he was doing more than parading. He was taking a stand for equality for the African-American community. Some clergymen of Birmingham accused King of unwise and untimely actions, but Martin Luther thought these men’s opinion might have been misled. King uses figurative language and conative word choice to influence his readers; so the clergymen would see the importance of the African-American community sharing equality with the white community and how they needed to act now.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written while he was “confined in the Birmingham city jail.” His letter was a direct response to the eight Alabama clergymen who insisted that King’s use of nonviolent direct action was unlawful. The clergymen questioned his method of protests even though they had similar goals as King. In his letter, King illustrates the hardships and injustices that African Americans in the United States were enduring during the mid-twentieth century; doing so allows King to justify the nonviolent actions of his fellow protestors. King uses the classical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos, along with his rhetorical situation, to support his claims about the racial discrimination and segregation in the United States.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his famous “A Letter from the Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963 while he was imprisoned in the Birmingham Jail for being involved in nonviolent protests against segregation. The letter is directed at eight white clergymen from Alabama who were very cynical and critical towards African Americans in one of their statements. Throughout the letter, King maintains an understanding yet persistent tone by arguing the points of the clergymen and providing answers to any counterarguments they may have. In the letter, King outlines the goals of his movement and says that he will fight racial inequality wherever it may be. Dr. King uses the appeal three main rhetorical devices – ethos, logos, and pathos – in order to firmly, yet politely, argue the clergymen on the injustices spoken of in their statement.
The letter from Birmingham jail by Dr. Marin Luther King was written as a response of King to nine criticisms made against the Southern Christian leaders and King’s participation in demonstration in Birmingham. King handled many rhetorical devices to convince his opponents such as the white clergymen with his rights to protest, create tension for direct action and to achieve the racial justice. The devices fluctuate between Logos, Pathos and Ethos in a clever way to appeal to his audience and criticize them at the same time. King provided logical supports such as biblical figures, historical and philosophical references. In addition, he used verities of metaphors, allergy and poetic language. In my essay, I will point out some of the rhetorical devices and
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested on April 12, 1963, in Birmingham, for having a protest without a proper permit. On the exact day King was arrested, eight clergymen from Alabama wrote a letter called “A Call for Unity.” The letter called for termination of civil activities and demonstrations and designated King an “outsider” and saying that outsiders were the problems in Birmingham and not the blacks that are from there. On April 16 King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, which was his responds to his fellow clergymen. He wrote the letter as a means to convince the clergymen and the white moderate that the nonviolent demonstrations that had got him arrested, were a necessity and to enlighten them on why the segregation laws in the southern states needed to be changed. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” King uses logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade the clergymen and convince them in assisting him in putting an end to segregation laws of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama.
In addressing and confronting the problem of injustices among the black Americans in the American society, particularly the violence that had happened in Birmingham, and generally, the inequality and racial prejudice happening in his American society, King argues his position by using both moral, social, and political references and logic for his arguments to be considered valid and agreeable.
He purposely conveys the message acknowledging Jesus Christ, because Christians where treating his corresponding African American’s immorally wrong and participating in sinful acts such as lynching. Mr. King knew that Jesus C...