From the third paragraph of his letter, King uses a pitiful and emotional argument to persuade his audience. He is ensuring himself that his audience is listening and will be moved and touched. The sentence, “Beyond this, I’m in Birmingham because injustice is here” explains the real reason he is in Birmingham. He says that they were invited by local affiliates from Birmingham because they wanted him and his organization, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to participate in a nonviolent direct-action program that was going on in Birmingham yet he ended up in jail. He continues to compare himself to Apostle Paul.
Martin Luther King Jr. was able to transmit the oppression of African American from a jail cell through the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. With more than 6500 words, Martin Luther King Jr. touched the subject of segregation and injustice of the African American. One cluster that stood out the most was cluster 30, where King was able to explain why the African American was forced to express their birth given right of freedom after endless promises of justice during the Civil Rights Movement. Through the use of Logos, Martin Luther King Jr. was able to connect with the reader by using logic to convince his audience and quoting passages from Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Prophet Amos. Furthermore, by the use of pathos Dr. King was
Michael Leff and Ebony A. Utley's article "Instrumental and Constitutive Rhetoric in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail"" details how Martin Luther King Jr. used ethos to create two distinct messages for two different audiences in a single letter. The authors explain how the letter is more than a list of refutations aimed at the clergy of Birmingham, Alabama, it is about creating a persona that is relatable to moderate whites while also giving his African American "eavesdropping" audience an example of how to act and take action during this time of civil injustice. We will examine how Martin Luther King Jr. becomes relatable to moderate whites in America and how he uses ethos as a persuasive tool to have African Americans act like him.
In Martin Luther King JR. “ Letter From Birmingham Jail” he responds to the criticism given to his activities. He addresses the criticism with a strong and powerful tone as well as using logos to explain why what he is doing is for the better of people while he also implements pathos to give the reader an inside view of the feelings of the people that were segregated. Martin Luther King JR. ’s saw his actions as just and not unwise.
On April 16th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. responds to a newspaper that was written by the clergymen of that time. King wrote this letter to justify his actions and to answer the claim that his actions were "unwise and untimely." While writing this letter, King uses rhetorical devices and appeals to develop his argument that his actions were not untimely and unwise. When King starts out his letter, he has to make it clear that he is not an outsider by establishing credibility with the clergymen. King does this by juxtaposing statements about justice, he says "Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life was devoted to fighting for what he passionately believed in, which was the equality for all people no matter their religion, dialect, gender, or what he is most commonly-known for, equality for all people regardless of the color of their skin. Caesar Chavez published this article on the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in order to invoke the ideals in which Dr. King most strongly believed, as well as to advocate for the nonviolent resistance that King frequently practiced. Caesar Chavez’s use of rhetorical devices, in specific, contrasting diction, or juxtaposition, as well as the constant use of the plural pronoun “we” help to drive his argument for nonviolent resistance
Dr. Martin Luther King called for action when he said, “There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into an abyss of injustice where they experience the bleakness of corroding despair.” Dr. Martin Luther King was simply pointing out that his people could no longer tolerate the injustices and discrimination that they were constantly facing. Also, Dr. Martin Luther King said, “We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.” Dr. Martin Luther King was addressing that his people had to take action to march and protest for what they perceived as fair and just. Dr. Martin Luther King use of stylistic elements such as figurative language along with connotative word choice and purposeful structure to persuade his audience to take a stand against discrimination.
In “A Letter From A Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr defends his use of nonviolent protest in order to accomplish racial equality. In the letter, Dr. King uses ethos, diction, and allusions when defending nonviolent protest which makes his argument really strong. His goal is to make the clergymen help him fight racial equality. He uses ethos to build up credibility.
While in solitary confinement for nearly 8 days, reverend and social justice activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to the criticism he received for his non-violent protests. Several clergy who negatively critiqued King’s approach of seeking justice, wrote A Call for Unity, arguing that his protests were senseless and improper. Within the article, the clergymen provide nine different critiques that asserted how King’s protest are invalid, uneffective, and simply unintelligent in the fight for obtaining justice and equity for individuals of color. His letter has become one of the most profound pieces of literature of the 20th century, as King uses vivid examples and eloquent rhetorical devices to counter all nine arguments.
Have you ever read an article or book that express a lot of sympathy and it made you feel as if you can feel their pain. “The Letter From Birmingham Jail” displays the true meaning of pathos. After reading this” letter” emotions will overflow. Dr. King wrote with so much passion and courage, that it makes his readers feel as if they were part of the movement. He shows his concerns for the African American community by expressing their thoughts and feelings because they feel as if they have no voice.
Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote a letter, from a Birmingham jail, addressing a few clergymen on their opinion concerning his motives, throughout the letter King uses rhetoric in order to persuade readers. King uses these rhetoric appeals such as logos, pathos and ethos in order to persuade every person who reads his letter, there are many strong points made by King throughout the letter but some of his strongest moments might have been his referencing of the Bible. Considering that King was a Christian, his reference to biblical figures improves the effectiveness of his arguments; therefore, King is creating an argument based off of something that many people would relate to. By relating to a greater audience one can make a more powerful
“Letter from Jail” On April 16, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter to the eight clergymen while he was incarcerated. Dr. King wrote this letter to address one of the biggest issues in Birmingham, Alabama and other areas within the United States. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” discussed the great injustices that were happening during that time towards the black community. Dr. King wanted everyone to have the same equal rights as the white community, he also went into further details about the struggles that African Americans were going through for so many years, which he felt like it could change. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, expressed his beliefs and his actions about the Human Rights Movement.
Amidst the intense Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and put in solitary confinement for peacefully protesting racial discrimination and injustice in Birmingham, Alabama. It was during this time that Dr. King, refusing to sit idly by, wrote his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” one of the most inspiring documents in history. With his respectful nature, humility, compassion, optimism, and determination, King responded to a group of white Alabama clergymen who had condemned the civil rights protests as extreme in their open letter, “A Call for Unity.” Although his letter was directed towards a small group of eight men, his words eventually reached the minds and hearts of the entire country. Throughout the letter, Dr. King does a tremendous job of supporting his argument with the three elements of Aristotle’s rhetorical appeal.
Then, Martin Luther King Jr. goes on to explain why this sort of pressure is necessary when he writes, “My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without legal and nonviolent pressure,” (“Letter from Birmingham Jail”). Martin Luther King Jr. did an extraordinary job relating to the readers emotions, especially when he writes, “Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say wait. But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the letter from jail, after he got arrested during a peaceful protest. At the time segregation was still a part of the culture in the United States and Martin Luther King Jr. and his followers were working diligently and peacefully to try and make a change in people’s hearts about segregation. In this letter MLK Jr. is writing to defend his strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism, which he does effectively by using rhetoric. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference focused on Birmingham, Alabama to start a nonviolent direct action campaign with the goal to get the city to get rid of segregation laws.
