Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

In 1963, eight Alabama clergymen issued a seemingly hypocritical public statement accusing outsiders of leading extreme demonstrations of protest in Birmingham, Alabama, and urging local citizens to allow racial issues to be resolved by the courts. In response, civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr., wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which outlined the reasoning and timing of the demonstrative actions. While King’s letter exhibits an effective use of all three Aristotelian rhetorical appeals, the following analysis focuses primarily on his use of logos. His inclusion of analogies along with descriptive diction assists in emphasizing his reasoning in an attempt to logically convince his readers that waiting for the courts to settle racial injustices had proved inefficient.

uses many comparisons throughout his letter to paint a vivid picture of his rationale. In an attempt to defend the strategies he and the other protestors used, King provides several comparative illustrations. One example is when he writes, “Like a boil that can never be cured as long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its pus-flowing ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must likewise be exposed.” This colorfully illustrates that even though their protesting may have been unpleasant to some people, it was done as a means of ensuring that injustice wouldn’t go unrecognized.
King defends the accusation of his “untimely” actions by attempting to convince readers that if they continued to “wait” for justice it would “never” come. His writing includes a multitude of metaphorical representations that help emphasize his position. One example he provides is that of a banned sedative which, when used by a pregnant woman, would result in her unborn child being born with deformities. In other words, he is implying that being told to wait may provide short-term relief, but ultimately it would result in grave