Rhetorical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail

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In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail) written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the three artistic appeals of Aristotle are plainly apparent, especially logos. Dr. King repeatedly appeals to logos (Ruszkiewicz) throughout the entire piece; particularly when he says he was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist then gradually gained a matter of satisfaction from the label. He is very impassioned in his language and tone in this part of the letter, yet still makes a strong argument for logic. Despite the overwhelming emotional and personal investment involved Dr. King still allows logic to prevail thus lending him a huge amount of credibility. As a member of the community being persecuted in this case, he might have had trouble remaining objective but clearly he doesn’t let his own pathos take center stage. All in all the use of logic and concise reasoning make a strong argument for the effectiveness of the letter in general.

The tone set by Dr. King in the part of the letter where he describes “pent-up resentments and latent frustrations,” and where he recognizes the “vital urge” being suppressed, is very passionate. His passion shines through loud and clear. The way Dr. King feels is, in fact, quite clear throughout the entire letter, yet the overriding sense of reason and logic that anyone can relate to is ever apparent. As he describes the unrest he finds in his community, the community as a whole really; he explains that he did not encourage them to “get rid of your [their] discontent” he instead encouraged them to, “make prayer pilgrimages to city hall;… go on freedom rides,… and try to understand why he [they] must do so”; these quotes from the letter point out the ways Dr....

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...t the issue everyone can use common sense and in fact do use it regularly.

Whether or not one agrees with the actual message or content of the “letter from Birmingham jail”’ it is apparent that the appeal to logos is a convincing one. When a strong case needs to be made falling back on the rational use of thought will always bring integrity to the speaker. Even a supremely personal or delicate subject can be maneuvered when logic is employed. To simply quote the late great Dr. King, “a lie cannot live”. (Jr.)

Works Cited

Jr., Martin Luther King. BrainyQuotes.com. n.d. 3 March 2011.

Jr., Martin Luther King. "Letter from Birmingham Jail." College, Pikes Peak Community. English 121 Readings. Boston/NewYork: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2010. 112-126.

Ruszkiewicz, Andrea A. Lunsford John J. Everything's an Argument. Boston/NewYork: Bedfors/St.Martin's, 2010.

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