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Ethos Pathos Logos In Letter From Birmingham Jail

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Martin Luther King wrote his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail," in response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight religious leaders of the South. The statement "A Call For Unity", implored Dr. King and his "outsiders" to obey the law and wait for integration to naturally come out of the courts. King responded with his Letter from Birmingham Jail, voicing his disappointment in the white clergy, who should be "among our strongest allies". This was the persuasive power of King’s writing, an epitome of the art of rhetoric. His letter used the three rhetorical appeals ethos, pathos, and logos, while also utilizing the literary device of kairos in an attempt to explain his actions and change the opinions of his audience.
A regular rhetorical strategy that appears in Martin Luther King’s letter is ethos. Ethos relates to the credibility of the writer …show more content…

It even persuaded the Roman catholic Bishop Joseph Aloysius Durick. Originally a conformist cleric, Bishop Durick, along with his seven colleagues wrote the letter "A Call For Unity", calling on Martin Luther King Jr. and his "outsiders" to go home during the Birmingham protests of 1963 and let the courts work toward integration. King responded with his Letter from Birmingham Jail, voicing his disappointment in the white clergy, who should be "among our strongest allies". This, and a message from Vatican II, led Bishop Durick to become a strong voice for civil rights in the segregated South! He did this in the face of severe persecution by his own congregation. Especially in the late 60s, when he experienced serious opposition in the form of boycotts of his public appearances. Despite these hardships, the Bishop continued to fight for civil rights; inspired by Dr. King’s words. This is the persuasive power of Martin Luther King’s letter from Birmingham

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