Pathos Appeal Of Mlk Letter From Birmingham Jail

By using the pathos appeal, Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrates his ability to inspire the civil rights activists, invoke empathy in the hearts of white moderates, and build compassion in the minds of the eight clergymen. Dr. King explains why it is difficult to wait for the end of segregation. It is entirely dedicated to stirring the emotion of the reader. The main theme throughout the paragraph is King’s urge to the clergymen to see things from his perspective. He states, “For years now I have heard the word ‘Wait!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied’”(King 3). Dr. King

Dr. King uses many examples of the kinds of problems that African-Americans face every day in Birmingham. One of the reasons that this part of the letter is so effective is because of the degree of specificity that Dr. King uses in his examples of the injustices they face. He reminded them of Warren’s own words on the need for desegregation, “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” He explains that if you put off justice for a long time, you might forget about it, or you might feel less enthused by action and less strong than you felt before about taking action. Dr. King responds to the disapproval of the timing of public by referring the broader scope of history and declaring that African Americans had waited for these God-given and constitutional rights long enough. He speaks in general terms about the sorts of injustices suffered by all African Americans. Dr. King talks about police brutality. He talks about segregation in motels and hotels and residential segregation and "white only" signs on drinking fountains. He talks about the denial of the right to

He depicts that you have to be either for something or against it. Martin Luther King Jr. is saying that people who are against something, but aren’t compassionate enough to do something about it frustrate him. In dealing with the absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will, one can be certain of their welcome and be prepared for their actions. However, with lukewarm acceptance one cannot be certain of the stability of their actions. Dr. King is saying that he cannot understand people who do not really care much about the issue of racism. He says he can understand it if people are racist; those people are embracing the evil of racism and probably think it is good. But people who are only lukewarm against racism are strange to him. He wonders how you can that something is wrong, but don't really care enough to do anything about it. Dr. King seems to attempt to open the reader’s eyes to the problems of everyday life and encourage them to take action through the use of pathos