An allusion is an indirect reference to people, events, literature, etc. King was in Birmingham Jail when he composed this response. In Letter of Birmingham Jail MLK does just that. However, establishing this credibility allows King to reach his target audience. If you want a unique paper, order it from our professional writers. He uses such intense words in this short sentence that really just leaves a picture in your mind. He made the reader sympathize with what the black people were going through on a day to day basis. The clergy also asserted that King and his constituents were extreme. Hi! Repetitions help the writer give structure to his arguments and highlight important aspects. Blog. MLK wonders about the churches and why theyre not trying to help the black community in their struggle and support their movement, as Christians use to have moral and ethical power. King cites Amos, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther, John Bunyan, Abraham Lincoln, and even Thomas Jefferson as examples of people who also had what were considered extremist views and practices. (2021, Jun 07). Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that states segregation laws was democratically elected (King 277)? The Letter of Birmingham Jail. Discovering Arguments: An, Introduction to Critical Thinking and Writing, with Readings, by Dean Memering and William Palmer, Prentice Hall, 2005, pp. Ethos Convinces the audience that the speaker will be worth listening to and is a credible source. The text includes numerous instances when the writer uses descriptive and metaphorical language to make his arguments more dynamic and appealing. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs. original papers. He went on to say that extremists in history have had a profound impact on many societies across the world. This passage in the letter shows the clergymen the two different sides. The pathos appeal was prevalent in Kings letter from beginning to end. Be careful, this sample is accessible to everyone. 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. In Kings letter, you will notice that the writer sometimes draws parallels between his actions as a civil rights activist and the actions of religious or historical figures whochanged society. When the clergy said that Kings actions were untimely, he describes the urgency of the situation. King does this by opening his letter with his accomplishments such as being the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which had 85 affiliate organizations all over the south. This essay is available online and might have been used by another student. If he did not have his knowledge of the philosophies and doctrines of nonviolence, civil disobedience and discourse, his message would not be well received. your personal assistant! King organized the letter by stating each critique from the white moderate and then explaining why direct action was justified. He wrote this letter from his jail cell after him and several of his associates were arrested as they nonviolently protested segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. The "letter of Birmingham Jail" was written by Martin Luther King on April 16, 1963. These themes of injustice were the push for his plan of direct action as he states and supports each theme with clear and factual evidence. The unfairness as they are seen as extremists, the activism of taking extreme measures, for their nonviolent direct-action protest just because they want the same freedom as whites. Martin Luther King then backs up his view of just and unjust laws with many political figures who set laws that were made to be broken for the rights of the people that faced injustices. You can order an original essay written according to your instructions. King makes use of ethos in his writing, which is an appeal to ethics; this establishes a certain level of credibility for him. Our writers can help you with any type of essay. Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis. King uses this truth to appeal to the readers emotions. Logically, the clergy could not refute the fact that there had been little to no change for the black community (members of their own community). His hope was that people would feel not just one emotion, but a plethora of emotions: sadness, anger, remorse, love, regret, empathy, etc. Lastly, he argues that it doesnt matter how admirable the police are when they are maintaining the immoral end of racial injustice. In other words, King borrows from the ethos of these figures to gain credibility and legitimacy in front of his readers. He talked about how black people have waited over 340 years to gain the same rights as white Americans. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored (King 274). One of his biggest issues was that the leadership of the church claimed to be in his corner, yet shrugged their shoulders at every turn of the cause and would refuse to stand with him when things did not seem to be going smoothly. He was leading a peaceful protest that lead to his arrest for not having a permit. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire (King 277). He continues to go on and on about the things they go through every day. He analyzed his opponents statements put forth then picks it apart backing up each little part with his collection of facts. King expressed a degree of disappointment at being considered an extremist when his actions were nonviolent. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/rhetorical-analysis-of-the-letter-of-birmingham-jail/. He refutes each one of the clergymens statements, breaking it down and tearing it apart by intertwining the use of logos, pathos, and ethos. His famous "Letter from Birmingham" offered a detailed response to the white moderate of his time, rebutting their claims that the direct actions of King's cause, were "untimely" and "unwise". To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay. He uses logos to first bring forward the racial injustices that engulf Birmingham stating, Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. One of these partnerships includes the esteemed Christian Movement for Human Rights. After stating the racial injustices that have been going on for too long he continues to logically reply to the question asked Why direct action? In another example, the writer associates himself with prophe. This essay is available online and might have been used by another student. MLK wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to an essay written by white clergymen. The letter of Birmingham Jail was written by Martin Luther King on April 16, 1963. I'm Amy, By doing this he validates why his nonviolent protest is necessary for growth and to overcome the prejudices that were happening in Birmingham. This, and his use of appeals made his letter all the more credible. As King states that just laws should be followed, and unjust laws should be openly disobeyed. Hyperbole, alliteration tongue twisted Alliteration, Ethos (author's experience) speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old Pathos (children= innocence) see tears welling up in her eyes Diction, pathos, metaphor "ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky" Diction, Personal Attack n*gger, boy, John This eventually gave King a sense of appreciation and satisfaction during his letter because he was regarded as an extremist, just as the influential men that came before him. For any subject. While this fight had been raging for nearly 10 years, the release in 1963 was shortly followed by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. King had to use his platform to set it straight as there were only newspapers at the time to capture the major brutalitys if they were lucky. The 1954 Supreme Court ruling that outlawed segregation in public schools was disobeyed. King plays to the fact that it does not make sense to tell him to obey the law when the law was broken for an unjust cause; a cause in which he is fighting against. An example of metaphor is when the writer associates destiny with a piece of clothing that can be put on and shared: We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of . King also squeezed in a couple uplifting pathos reminding us of the beautiful opportunitys that await them. Showing the readers that the cops were actually the violent ones in the nonviolent protest that was going on, theyre the ones causing the harm instead of preventing it. Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. He says directly that he is not an outsider looking in. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. He continues these connections all throughout his letter to further justify his actions, stating if these large political figures have done it in the past to voice their opinion and be heard than whats any different than him doing the same. I'm Amy, You can order an original essay written according to your instructions. One of the statements made by the clergymen was that they warmly commended the Birmingham police for keeping order and preventing violence. The clergy expresses unease at Kings willingness to break laws with his nonviolent protests. Each one of the arguments put onward by the clergymen MLK put down and refuted with facts that were undeniable. Martin Luther Kings major claims in this letter are to bring forward the injustices that went on in Birmingham. MLK says I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes (King 283). This is an appeal to the emotions of the reader. Only members can read the full content. Sun Dec 02 2012. This tool is used so that the words coming from his letter do not go over the clergys heads. He said that he has watched his brothers and sisters be referred to as niggers and boys, be punched and kicked, lynched, burned, drowned, cursed, and brutalized. King kept a serious but sincere voice getting straight to the point, but also persuading his audience. Rhetorical Analysis of The Letter of Birmingham Jail". Michelle Singh's art of inclusion with Prezi; Feb. 15, 2023 He recognized that this was an effective way to bring further into the light the atrocities of racism and segregation. King used many rhetorical devices in his writing, from repetition, allusion and imagery, all the way to ethos, logos, and pathos. The eight clergy men called his present activity unwise and untimely and stated that racial matters should be properly pursued in the courts and not the streets. Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. That direct action was the only choice for negation as they were victims of broken promises by the courts and given no alternative choice. This appeals to ethos as it validates kings quality educational background. He is also telling them this needs to be stopped and can be with the next generation. King also uses a strong sense of logos when describing the two sides of the community one is a force of complacency, made up in part of negros who, as a result of long years of oppression, that have adjusted to segregation (King 279), and The other force is bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence (King 279). Ethos is a useful technique in developing trustworthiness in a writer, but King uses logos as well. He is a reverend from the south and it is his business to advocate against segregation. 273284.. Don't know where to start? Throughout his letter he brings forward the injustices of just vs. unjust laws used by the segregator and pushed upon the segregated. Perhaps the most effective rhetorical device that King uses is pathos. Not only does he describe the brutality given by the cops he also describes the injustices done by the people and the community. 467 students ordered this very topic and got Showing that his plan for direct action is not unwise and supposed to be untimely as they have waited to long for change and now its time to force negotiation. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide. Don't know where to start? His famous Letter from Birmingham offered a detailed response to the white moderate of his time, rebutting their claims that the direct actions of Kings cause, were untimely and unwise. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. Various rhetorical questions help the writer introduces new topics he addresses in reply to criticism from white clergymen: You may well ask: Why direct action? MLK then establishes his credibility by saying, I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Some may say Martian Luther King could persuade anyone and anything, by the choice of his words and how he made them flow together. March 23, 2023. King made use of ethos, pathos, and logos in his letter; three powerful rhetorical devices that make various appeals to the target audience. King references a dozen historical figures from Abraham Lincoln, to Paul of Tarsus, Socrates, to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and many more. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the south, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (King 273). Martin Luther King also establishes ethos throughout his letter by outlining his own culture of religious ancestors and deliberating his own church leadership. He then addresses the clergymens anxiety over their willingness to break laws.
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