A Rhetorical Analysis Of Dr. King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

“ I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear” - Martin Luther King Jr. (Garland). We all know and learn about the famous Dr. King and what he did, but do we actually follow up his role in our own lives? Martin Luther King Jr. is famous for his non-violent protests and teachings inspired by Ghandi. We should not just take Dr. King’s work for granted, but rather be grateful that he did what he did.

In his letter from Birmingham jail, written in August of 1963, King outlined the four steps, “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action” (Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1). He knew injustices were evident from the accounts of abuse endured by African Americans. He tried to negotiate with the political leaders, but they refused so King had to move on to the last two steps. Self-purification was the hardest, but most important step of the process in starting a nonviolent campaign. It was a workshop, teaching supporters of the cause how to suffer abuse without retaliating.

Malcolm X 's violent approach towards equality came from his childhood and Islamic religion. Martin Luther King Jr. 's nonviolent principals came from his religion and childhood as well. There were many other smaller conflicts between the two. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X always had a common goal. They wanted the oppression of African-Americans to stop.

Whereas in 1941, Roosevelt published a speech to Congress on the state of the union. These two remarkable pieces of writing share common themes of rights and Freedom such as injustice, tone, and allusion in America. To begin with, in both Letter from Birmingham and Four freedom dr. King and Roosevelt use similar tones. In Letter from Birmingham jail, Dr. King tone comes off as noble and slightly angry. In the text he says, "I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation.

Even when Gandhi was not behind bars they pushed on. “..I shall proceed with such co-workers of the Ashram [Community] as I can take, to disregard the provisions of the Salt Laws.” (Document A, Gandhi). Gandhi knew he had people to back him and fight, (nonviolently speaking), with him. Even before the Salt March truly began people lined up behind Gandhi and joined him in his march for freedom. The loyalty of these people is what really kept the movement alive.

Campaign repressed harmful demonstrations and pointless violence. In America even today, Martin Luther King day (the day that recognises the life and achievements of Martin Luther King) remembers how Martin Luther King used a political form of non-violent civil protesting. Although he set about his campaign in a non-violent way, the racial tension was building from both his protests and the history of Black inequality. In a letter titled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King explains that “he has always opposed violent tension”, throughout his campaigns and messages. And he further states that “there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth”.

The speech is quite optimistic as the author hopes that poverty and racism are vices that can easily be overcome. He points out alternative ways of dealing with injustice, violence, and social oppressions. This way, the author appeals to people’s rational judgment to choose peaceful ways of handling social issues. The value of peace dominates the author’s speech. He recognizes that the Nobel Prize is an honor to many other leaders that are spearheading the struggle to end “man’s inhumanity to man.” Thesis of Luther’s Speech The author expresses the struggle that the civil rights activists and other leaders in the world are making to end racial injustice, poverty, and militarism by adopting a more peaceful approach to violence and oppression.

Then he talks about some of the associations he is affiliated with and addresses the plans to peacefully protest segregation. Then states that the protest be conducted was the reason he was in Birmingham jail. All of these things he says show that fighting for equality was hard because he ended up in jail because

The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. is about the unfair, brutal, and racist treatment the black community has been receiving from white people. This letter was written when he was arrested after peacefully protesting about segregation and how the black people didn’t agree with the law. In the letter, Martin Luther King Jr.’s feelings are being expressed toward the unfair events and it is an example of a well-written argument. In the letter are three claims pointed from King, it states he has a valid reason for being in Birmingham, the black community has no alternative, but to demonstrate and the need for justice is urgent. Also, it discusses king’s intentions during the civil rights movements.

Many important people in history are still known today because there acts of courage, just like Martin Luther King Jr, He fought for equality over and over until getting what he wanted even after being in jail multiple times and with millions of salve owners wanting him to be stopped. Courage is all about not having fear and acting upon how it can benefit the future. Similar the