Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

Seth Marshall
Messersmith
Comp 2
3/21/16
MLK Martin Luther King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail’ in 1963 while African Americans where fighting with the whites for equality. He was one of the most influential civil rights leader ever in America. He was also an American Baptist minister that had very strong Christian beliefs. What he was best known for is his acts with using nonviolent disobedience actions to lead his civil right movement due to his beliefs. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that was by Martin Luther King it was written in the border of a letter posted by the clergymen in Alabama it began to draw in his interest. While in jail due to marching without a permit he had the time to put his whole heart into this one letter. In his letter he began to point out some specific points directed towards the clergymen’s and this response Martin Luther King had showed that he had some very strong points in his very powerful writing. He started to begin stating his different view and also his defending ideas. While doing this he used very caviling and persuasive tones that would draw in the reader and make the reader agree with what he is stating. Martin Luther King provides

He states that “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action.” (379). in this quote Martin Luther King shows he has no plans to use violence in his civil rights movement. Instead he has a respectful view to handle the situation that is at hand. “it is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city’s white power structure left the negro community with no alternative.” (379). what he means by this statement is that he is taking sides with the “negro community’ and believes what the “white power structure” is doing things in the wrong