Letter from a Birmingham Jail Analysis It takes courage to dedicate a life to trying to make a difference in a society where people believe their ways will never change. Martin Luther King was one of the very few national idols of social movement which used the power of voice and faith to motivate millions. In,”Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]” he addressed the clergymen about racial discrimination the country was facing and how we should find peace without resorting to violence. Through MLK’s use of Ethos,Pathos,Logos he was able to argue about the nonviolent resistance movement towards racism. When using pathos, MLK set such a poetic tone, giving emotional loaded language as well as building a more emotional connection with the reader. …show more content…
He adds, “One has not only a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that, “an unjust law is no law at all.” We can see here how he refers to St. Augustine for a historic point of view. Another example is when he talks about condemning Socrates and Jesus. “Isn’t this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn’t this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God’s will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion?” MLK uses these two examples to state that the, “federal courts have consistently affirmed,” and that it is unjust to take away someone 's basic constitutional rights just because of what they believe in. This helps his argument in such a way that provides evidence from the past to back up his …show more content…
He speaks of segregation, “Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an [I it] relationship for an [I thou] relationship and ends up regulating persons to the status of things,” giving credibility to a well educated man who helps support his clause. Same goes for when he talks about Meshach and abednego from Nebuchadnezzar about the acts of civil disobedience. He shows his characterwhen giving an example about what,” Hitler did in Germany was [legal] and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was [illegal]. It was [illegal] to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers.” And “If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country 's antireligious laws.” Telling his audience he would voluntarily go against his own country’s laws for the common good shows how right and just this man is and that all he wants is justice and equality for his
In Martin Luther’s, Letter from Birmingham Jail he makes the statement, “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal’ and everything the Hungarian freedom-fighters did in Hungary was ‘illegal.’ It was ‘illegal’ to aid and comfort Jews in Hitler’s Germany.” (Paragraph 22) The reason this particular section of the text is so important is because it puts into perspective the immoral acts of the whites that were considered legal, as well as the moral acts of Martin Luther and his followers that were considered illegal. Much like King, Banneker makes references to past events in order to solidify his argument. Banneker starts his letter by saying “Sir, suffer me to recall to your mind that time in which the arms and tyranny of the British Crown were exerted with powerful effort in order to reduce you to a State of Servitude…” (Banneker-1791) The reference to the British Crown is so important because it is comparing the conditions in which the African Americans were currently in, to the situation the colonist were once in when they first made their settlements in the new America, showing just how similar the two are and providing room for his reader to have empathy for the struggles in which Banneker and thousands of other African Americans were going through at that
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
“As we walk, we must make a pledge that we shall always march ahead.”(MLK , I have a Dream Speech). Martin Luther King JR. was a remarkable man. He helped the community like no other did. He is a great character and role model towards all African Americans and others. He shows bravery, kindness, and has the eyes to make change happen. He was an inspiration to many less fortunate people than him, and people who had more than him. Do we have the bravery and courage that this man had? Do we have the eyes for change? MLK had something many didn’t. MLK made a change because something was bothering him in his community, he brought people together, was an inspiration to many because of his patience, and had a dream.
Ashley Sanchez 29659103 Analysis Essay Oppression is defined by the act of subjugating a people and state through means of force- a universal theme explored in both Hobson’s Choice by Harold Brighouse and Letter from Birmingham Jail written by Martin Luther King Jr (Webster). How can one achieve what they term as the ‘good life’ under oppression and is it necessarily worth the consequences that can result from said search? Hobson’s Choice explores the difficulty of finding a good life under the oppression of a father, and how that quest can result in a happier life. Letter from Birmingham Jail tackles a more defined term of subjugation and the danger of finding a ‘good life’ compared to safety and unhappiness under oppression. Ultimately, the search for a good life is derived from the struggle of rising above one’s oppressor, with the personal satisfaction of searching for the good life outweighing the consequences that may arise.
“Hence, segregation is not only politically, economically, and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful.”… Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatest speakers in all of history wrote these words in his letter from Birmingham Jail (King 48). His great use of rhetoric affected largely the freeing of an entire race. During his work in the Civil Rights Movement, he visited a small town called Birmingham in Alabama, and wrote one of his most rhetorically compelling letters there. In this letter, he used historical evidence, scriptural references, descriptive vocabulary, and great organization of points to respond to grievances raised against his movement: that he should wait, that he was breaking laws, that his peace brought on violence, and that his activities were extreme.
Martin Luther King Junior's letter from a Birmingham Jail was an expression of his encouragement for protest against tradition and established laws and a justification for his actions. King, a leader of a civil-rights group that supported protest against traditional views, encouraged protesting against tradition and established laws that are unjust. In his letter from Birmingham Jail King states: "It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's anti-religious laws." This excerpt shows that King encourages protest because in some situations he deems it necessary, be it in Hitler's Germany, a Communist country, or any situation in which injustices are occurring. In the last sentence of the excerpt King openly admits that he would protest against established laws or traditions. King was against the traditional views and unjust laws, which discriminated against him and his fellow people.
Dr. Martin Luther King addressed many topics in, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. He answered all the issues that were aimed towards him in a very skillful and well thought out manner. These issues came from, “A Call For Unity”, which was a letter published by eight local clergymen expressing their feelings about what Dr. King was doing. One concern in particular that King did an outstanding job of confronting was that of the clergymen’s anxiety about him breaking the law. King addresses the question of, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” by clarifying that there are just and unjust laws. He also goes on to explain the difference between the two, the effect of unjust laws on the people that they are aimed towards, as
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written to address the public criticism he and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference received from eight clergymen. In his letter, King shows off his fiery emotion throughout his letter. However, King does not force his beliefs upon his readers. Rather, he hopes that his readers will see his perspective on the situation through an emotional appeal. If the readers are able to recognize the injustice and inequality suffered by the African American community, perhaps they can. The fourteenth and fifteenth paragraphs were a true testament to his passion and ambition for equal rights.
Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote an argumentative persuasive essay, the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963. King had written this letter to address and respond to the criticism made by the white clergymen. The letter was an approach to end racism and hatred in a non-violent manner. The non-violent movement was organized by King and his pro-black organization called “The Southern Christian Leadership Conference”.
Directions: Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is the document in which he most clearly articulates his nonviolent direct action strategy.
The United States civil rights movement was a constant battle for the rights and freedom of African Americans. Martin Luther king Jr., the leader of the civil right movement, was hosting a non-violent protest in Birmingham city. However, the protest did not go as planned and King was arrested for agitating the public. Many fellow white clergymen were angered and upset over the “Ungodly” act. As a result,the Clergymen wrote a statement that claimed Martin Luther King Jr. to be an extremist. Martin Luther King Jr. responds to the clergymen’s statement while residing in Birmingham jail by writing a letter using the ethical, emotional, and logical appeals to defend his actions.
"Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail, which was written in April 16, 1963, is a passionate letter that addresses and responds to the issue and criticism that a group of white clergymen had thrown at him and his pro- black American organization about his and his organization's non- violent demonstrative actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black Americans in Birmingham.
MLK is also unfairly critiqued for his “untimeliness”; he is criticized for not giving the new local government officials in Birmingham enough time to respond to the complaints of the black community. MLK, wisely and wittily asserts, that according to the oppressors, there will never be a “right time” for rebellion. He expresses that the black community cannot wait any longer, he writes, “we have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights.” It is my opinion, that the paragraph which MLK very literally explains the hardships of...
Martin Luther King Jr. is known for his use of religion to justify actions, with this letter as a prime example. He believes that the morality of laws should be put into question to see if they are just, where the measurement of morality comes from an inner scale that is balanced by religion. Martin Luther King Jr. was a revolutionary, inciting nonviolent change in America through government protests, not conforming to the rules and norms has set for him to accept his poor condition in life. He says, “...segregation is not only politically, economically, and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful.” Therefore, he believes that the government’s rule is not legitimate unless it follows his perception of what is just, which is fueled by religious beliefs. This causes independent action because he senses a problem in life, and feels like he must serve a greater purpose to be able to solve
One of the world’s best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies, Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural traditions. Recent studies of him emphasize the extent to which his ideals were rooted in African-American religious traditions which were then shaped by his education. The image of a social activist and leader was the result of extensive formal education, strong personal values and licit ethics. This excellence in leadership can be traced to his character which is shaped by his moral values and personality. We look at MLK and these traits to reveal the rationalization of his rise to transracial leadership in our society. Through studying the life and example of Martin Luther King, Jr., we learn that his moral values of integrity, love, truth, fairness, caring, non-violence, achievement and peace were what motivated him. King is not great because he is well known, he is great because he served as the cause of peace and justice for all humans. King is remembered for his humanity, leadership and his love of his fellow man regardless of skin color. This presence of strong moral values developed King’s character which enabled him to become one of the most influential leaders of our time. Integrity is a central value in a leader’s character and it is through integrity that King had vision of the truth. The truth that one day this nation would live up to the creed, "all men are created equal". No man contributed more to the great progress of blacks during the 1950’s and 1960’s than Martin Luther King, Jr. He was brought up believing "one man can make a difference", and this is just what he did. Integrity has a large effect on what we think, say and do, it is through King’s thoughts and actions that enabled so many people to have trust and faith in him. Through King’s integrity he believed that America, the most powerful and richest nation in the world will lead the way to a revolution of values. This revolution will change the way society views itself, shifting from a "thing-orientated" society to a "person-orientated" society. When this occurs, King believed that racism will be capable of being conquered and this nation will be "Free at last." King’s unconditional love for all humans was another value that strongly influenced his character and allowed him to have such excellent leadership ability.