Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From A Birmingham Jail

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.

King was in Birmingham because injustice was prominent. King was arrested on April 16, 1963. for ignoring an injunction by the government. During King’s time in jail, which was for eight days, he wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” His letter was written to justify his actions and to defend his acts of nonviolent protests.

Civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr, in his Letter from Birmingham City Jail, argues against criticism from eight Alabama clergymen, and addresses their concerns. He defends his position, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), against accusations of disturbing the peace in Birmingham, as well as explaining his values and opinions. Throughout the letter, King adopts a strong logical and credible tone, and reinforces his position through the use of strong emotional justifications, in order to appeal to the clergymen and defend his public image. Martin Luther King opens up his Letter from Birmingham City Jail by appealing to the clergymen's emotions, and assuring his peaceful response, which he describes in "patient and

Birmingham, Alabama was a tough place to live as an African-American in the early 1960’s due to social injustice and segregation. Violent crimes against African-Americans occurred regularly, and they happened with few people standing up for African-Americans. Shortly after arriving in Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. found himself in Birmingham Jail after standing up for African-Americans by peacefully protesting segregation. There were many critics of Dr. King at the time, and a few of them were clergymen who wrote an open letter criticizing the civil rights demonstrations. Dr. King responded to those clergymen from his jail cell in a persuasive manner.

Summary/Assessment: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which is an organization operating in every Southern state with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. He came to Birmingham, Alabama because injustice lies there and helped protest about it in a nonviolent demonstration against racial discrimination. The eight clergymen of the South did not approve of these demonstrations happening which caused Dr. King to be confined in Birmingham Jail cell, writing a letter to them men explaining on why he was in Birmingham and what his reasons were for these protests. He begins to talk about and explain the four basic steps that needed to be followed for any nonviolent campaign. He also gives the audience a better understanding by giving a visual glimpse of what the black community had to endure.

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is known as a civil rights movement activist and he is recognized around the world as a symbol of freedom, liberty, and peace. He was the central figure for African –Americans and to speak up for people. He thrives to have a better future for his family and other Africans –Americans. He was the first to protest a boycott and in 1963 of April he was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for participating in a non-permit march. In his time in jail he wrote a “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, which he uses all the rhetorical appeals.

In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s essay, “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” and Henry David Thoreau essay “Civil Disobedience,” both share their opinions on social injustice and civil disobedience. They both believe that people can protest unfair and unjust laws imposed on them in a civil way. In addition, King and Thoreau are challenging the government with their essays, which they wrote after they got sent to jail. For protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama, King spent eleven days in jail; Thoreau spent a night in jail for refusing to pay his poll tax. Both King and Thoreau’s essays present similar plans for a resolution.

Martin Luther King use of figurative language within his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, persuades his audience to rise up against the racial injustices in Birmingham. In paragraph eight, Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.” Dr. Martin Luther King is describing to his audience that racial injustice entraps and frustrates every person and that national policy is required to ensure that every person has a solid foundation of worth. In paragraph twelve, Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted.” Dr. Martin Luther King use of “dark clouds and deep fog passing away” is to show hope for his people suffering from racial

Martin Luther King Jr., one of the greatest speakers for black civil rights movement, had written many great works in his time. Two of his pieces stand out as his greatest works. Letter from Birmingham Jail; a pieces written from a jail cell in birmingham where he was arrested for peacefully protesting, the letter was attended to the white clergymen who didn 't agree with his views and I Have a Dream Speech; was a speech king gave in front of the washington memorial. Both works convey similarities and differences in their tone, structure, appeal and figurative language. There are many similarities between “I Have a Dream” and the letter from birmingham jail.

Lazaun Jobe In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King, Jr excised his arguments on racism and segregation throughout the southern states of the United Sates. He writes this letter to explain to people how African Americans are treated and harmed by racism and the impact it puts on them mentally and physically. He states that “Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States”, and “there have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homed and churches in Birmingham than any city in this nation” (Martin Luther King, pg. 3).

Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail addresses his fellow clergymen and others who critiqued him for his actions during this time. The clergymen along with others are addressed in an assertive tone allowing them to fully understand why his actions are justified. Throughout the letter critics are disproved through King’s effective use of diction and selection of detail. Martin Luther King opens the letter stating that the clergymen are being “influenced by the argument of ‘outsiders coming in” consequently he explains the reason for him being in Birmingham. In the opening of his explanation he states the injustices occurring, relating it to the prophets of eighth century B.C.

The purpose of the authors article is to bring to the audience’s attention that teaching children skills such as grit and self-control are hard to come by. Tough is attempting to persuade his targeted audience into comprehending that generally occur within low-income students. He persuades with the following rhetorical terms: logos, tone, exemplification/warrant, and ethos. These terms are the key to his success in writing the persuasive article. Logos plays a part in his article to persuade his audience.

The Letter from Birmingham Jail proclaims the truth of black suffering out to the white community readers. In Birmingham, it is well known that racial injustice has taken a widespread over the black general public; they are faced with police brutality and the consequences of unjust treatments. Consequently, there are more unsolved bombings of black homes and churches in Birmingham compared to other cities in the country. Their own church, where their family, neighbors, and friends come to peacefully worship were targeted by a hate group. When the victimized communities seek justice, they are ignored.

Upon being imprisoned for marching Dr Martin Luther King wrote a letter to the fellow clergymen of Birmingham, addressing his reasons as to why he committed his “crime”, This letter was widely known as “The Letter of Birmingham”. This letter was very influential and paramount to the cause of civil rights as it spurred up future events that would play essential roles in ending racial segregation in America. Throughout his whole letter, King used Ethos, logos, and pathos to firmly get his message across while adding rhetorical devices such as repetition, metaphors, and biblical references.

The most effective rhetorical appeal used in the passage was logos and pathos. King used reasoning and experiences to try to persuade the clergymen or ministers, to bring unity and pacifism. In his applauding and jaw dropping letter, he writes from jail, to the ministers about his aspect on racism and segregation. Additionally, King uses allusion to refer to unconventional events in the past, that support his work. For example, in the letter he speaks of Apollo Paul.