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Extremism In Martin Luther King's Letter

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Martin Luther King's purpose of the letter is to persuade his audience that segregation is immoral, and deprives them of their equal freedoms. In paragraph 24, he emphasizes the greatness of many individuals who sought out their beliefs such as he does. He portrays the use of many rhetorical devices to create a deeper interpretation and understanding for the word “extremist.” The individuals who he describes each have their belief that leads them to being an “extremist.” Firstly, just by reading the paragraph, you can notice the repetition of “extremist” and “we will be”, they evoke that it's important to fight for that you know is fair. “Was not John Bunyan an extremist? … Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist?” not only repetition but ad verecundiam because Martin Luther King uses significant figures who stood up for important matters, which creates an ethos to his point of being an extremist. Also, “Will we be extremist for hate, or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice, or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?”, this influences the importance …show more content…

It provokes proof of what these people believed in, and argued for. Including, the use of a simile, “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream” conveys that justice should be something that flows easily and given to everyone because it is for everyone and people should not be denied of

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