He was leading a peaceful protest that lead to his arrest for not having a permit. But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim. (P. 429) This quote comes from King expressing just how serious and emotional this cause is for him and members of the black community. The prejudices of the white moderate who say they agree with the goal they seek of freedom but cannot agree with their methods of direct actions. Martin Luther Kings major claims in this letter are to bring forward the injustices that went on in Birmingham. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that states segregation laws was democratically elected (King 277)? Blog. To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay. Ethos Convinces the audience that the speaker will be worth listening to and is a credible source. This letter is about ending indifference toward the subject of discrimination. Rhetorical Devices used in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" BY: Vitoria Domingues What is Ethos? 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. Nevertheless, he was also a reverend, who was very patient, and well versed in the philosophy and execution of civil disobedience. 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? King made use of ethos, pathos, and logos in his letter; three powerful rhetorical devices that make various appeals to the target audience. Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis. Throughout his letter he brings forward the injustices of just vs. unjust laws used by the segregator and pushed upon the segregated. 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. Specify your topic, deadline, number of pages and other requirements. (2021, Jun 07). He refutes each one of the clergymens statements, breaking it down and tearing it apart by intertwining the use of logos, pathos, and ethos. 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 He analyzed his opponents statements put forth then picks it apart backing up each little part with his collection of facts. This passage in the letter shows the clergymen the two different sides. Some may say Martian Luther King could persuade anyone and anything, by the choice of his words and how he made them flow together. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity (King 279). It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored (King 274). original papers. Our writers can help you with any type of essay. 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". Kimberly Bautista. Kings message would not be well received if he did not have his background. He Compares his fight for freedom with the Apostle Paul and the prophets fight for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The text includes numerous instances when the writer uses descriptive and metaphorical language to make his arguments more dynamic and appealing. He says directly that he is not an outsider looking in. He makes this statement to show he is not an outsider but presents himself as an insider, as he is the president of the conference. This appeals to ethos as it validates kings quality educational background. The most remarkable takeaway from this letter is Kings overall tone he keeps throughout as he could have approached his audience multiple different ways. original papers. In order to get people to agree with him on just vs. unjust laws he needs to do more than appeal to the readers pathos and ethos. He then continues to address them in his introduction with respect and a cordial tone. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. He backs up each of the clergymens arguments with logical evidence to his stand point on the topic. aimed at creating associations for the readers and to add further emphasis to the writers views. your personal assistant! Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. This tool is used so that the words coming from his letter do not go over the clergys heads. Give us your paper requirements, choose a writer and well deliver the highest-quality essay! 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. Isn't negotiation a better path? ; Some have asked: Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act? ; One may well ask: How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others? . A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. Perhaps the most effective rhetorical device that King uses is pathos. King utilizes several facts and statistics throughout his letter. His hope was that people would feel not just one emotion, but a plethora of emotions: sadness, anger, remorse, love, regret, empathy, etc. In Letter of Birmingham Jail MLK does just that. Ethos is a useful technique in developing trustworthiness in a writer, but King uses logos as well. King uses logos as a means to pick apart the flaws of the clergys concerns and show them just how warranted his actions are. You can order an original essay written according to your instructions. 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. This, and his use of appeals made his letter all the more credible. Logical Fallacies in Letter from Birmingham Jail, The Effects that World War i and World War II had on Minority Groups in America, The Causes of Hysteria from the Salem Witch Trials, Letter from Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis, Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr, North or South: who Killed Reconstruction, King, Martin Luther. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/rhetorical-analysis-of-the-letter-of-birmingham-jail/. This went to his point of how patience was no longer possible and that was the reason why his actions may have been misconstrued as untimely. The best example of this appeal is when King explains the urgency behind his cause. Activity Overview When teaching speeches and letters, it's helpful to refresh or introduce students to literary elements that enhance rhetorical strategies. MLK doesnt take time to justify these two groups of their rights and wrongs, but rather backs them up with facts that result in their actions. Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide. 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. 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. 467 students ordered this very topic and got He used numerous examples of sad and heart aching pathos, he did it to get his point across, making the white moderates feel what it was like to live in the life of a colored person. He is also telling them this needs to be stopped and can be with the next generation. 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. Discovering Arguments: An, Introduction to Critical Thinking and Writing, with Readings, by Dean Memering and William Palmer, Prentice Hall, 2005, pp. Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. An allusion is an indirect reference to people, events, literature, etc. "Letter from Birmingham Jail": Examples of Rhetorical Devices 4.2 (5 reviews) logos Click the card to flip "We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights." Click the card to flip 1 / 32 Flashcards Learn Test Match Created by aedwards001 Teacher Terms in this set (32) logos Sun Dec 02 2012. He was a man that is recognized all over as a leader for influencing the desegregation of the southern United States. He is a reverend from the south and it is his business to advocate against segregation. Martian Luther King was also good at incorporating strong pathos into his letter. An allusion is an indirect reference to people, events, literature, etc. King made use of ethos, pathos, and logos in his letter; three powerful rhetorical devices that make various appeals to the target audience. Quick action is typically a product of this appeal, which makes it the perfect secret weapon for Kings letter. Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. Give us your paper requirements, choose a writer and well deliver the highest-quality essay! These are the hard, brutal facts of the case (King 274). After reading "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", ask your students to do a scavenger hunt using the storyboard creator. King uses this appeal so that the audience understands that he knows what he is talking about. He apologizes for not being able to hold his silence, and be patient in his fight. Kings target audience was the white moderate but at the same time, his letter was renowned nationwide. He uses such intense words in this short sentence that really just leaves a picture in your mind. The text shown above is just an extract. Rhetorical Devices- Letter from Birmingham Jail June 12, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. Who is the audience? Lastly, he argues that it doesnt matter how admirable the police are when they are maintaining the immoral end of racial injustice. Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs. These references are even more relevant because the letter is a reply to criticism coming from clergymen. Rhetorical Analysis of The Letter of Birmingham Jail". Just expressing his background as a minister goes towards the development of ethos. (2021, Apr 23). As King states that just laws should be followed, and unjust laws should be openly disobeyed. He is informed about the crisis going on in Birmingham as he has a chapter in their state and was invited there to help fight the discrimination. - Use specific language that is appropriate to the audience and topic (connect with audience) - Use correct grammar and syntax 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. The time was now, they were done waiting for change instead they were going to make it happen on their own terms by creating tension that would force them to confront the issue. He painted a picture of the violence they faced, the injustices, and brutality they had to endure. This piece incorporated a multitude of different techniques, which King synthesized into an extremely advanced message for the white moderate. As he refers to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. 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. 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. The 1954 Supreme Court ruling that outlawed segregation in public schools was disobeyed. MLK wants to bring about a change to what the world sees of the Civil Rights movement. Showing that he takes the cultural ideas of him and his followers very seriously and is there to fight for them. Letter from Birmingham Jail, by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Logical Fallacies in Letter from Birmingham Jail, Policing and Community Relations in America, Rhetorical Analysis of The Letter of Birmingham Jail, A Rhetorical Analysis of the Letter from Birmingham Jail and Malala Yousafzais Speech, Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr, What does Kings Speech i have a Dream Mean. Not trying to fight or disrespect them as he refers to them as men of genuine good will and that your criticism is sincerely set forth (King 273), but still speaks strongly upon his side of the statements that were made. 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). King makes use of ethos in his writing, which is an appeal to ethics; this establishes a certain level of credibility for him. aimed at creating associations for the readers and to add further emphasis to the writer's views. Be careful, this sample is accessible to everyone. As Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister who was inspired to use non-violent means in the civil rights movement by religious philosophy, it comes as no surprise that his letter is full of religious references. Kings most memorable, most effective arguments were those that relied on taking a deep look at inner human emotion. King references a dozen historical figures from Abraham Lincoln, to Paul of Tarsus, Socrates, to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and many more. your personal assistant! Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide. 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. That direct action was the only choice for negation as they were victims of broken promises by the courts and given no alternative choice. MLK wrote the Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to an essay written by white clergymen. Kings use of rhetorical appeal in the letter played an enormous role in the shift from a segregated America, to the kind of America that King dreamt it would become.. King started off by addressing the reason why he was in jail. This is an appeal to the emotions of the reader. 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. Analogies are comparisons through which the writer uses one event or person to describe another, creating associations for the readers. The letter of Birmingham Jail was written by Martin Luther King on April 16, 1963. 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. 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. While this fight had been raging for nearly 10 years, the release in 1963 was shortly followed by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Additionally, King uses rhetorical questions to describe how activists think and make readers understand the logic behind the protests: we repeatedly asked o. Specify your topic, deadline, number of pages and other requirements. You can order an original essay written according to your instructions. 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 . Even in closing, King says that his letter would have been much easier to compose, had he not been thrown in jail for peacefully protesting for the rights of people who he considers to be family. Another example of this appeal is when King is arguing the paradoxical nature of breaking laws. 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). King cited several examples of how blacks have had to endure pain for much too long. March 23, 2023. Unlock effective presentation skills (tips and best practices) March 2, 2023. Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. His idea was that nobody ever got anywhere by waiting for change to come to them. Not only did he bring those injustices forward, but his letter was the stepping stone for the civil rights movement of the 1960s, as justice was finally approaching. When the clergy said that Kings actions were untimely, he describes the urgency of the situation. King also squeezed in a couple uplifting pathos reminding us of the beautiful opportunitys that await them. Letter from Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis, This example was written and submitted by a fellow student. King organized the letter by stating each critique from the white moderate and then explaining why direct action was justified. "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. includes a large volume of allusions and direct references that can be divided into several categories. For any subject. King says having to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cant go to the public amusement park, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told the fun town is closed to color children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness towards white people (King 275). If you want a unique paper, order it from our professional writers. Hi! Not only does he describe the brutality given by the cops he also describes the injustices done by the people and the community. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. One of these partnerships includes the esteemed Christian Movement for Human Rights. 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. 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. One of the statements made by the clergymen was that they warmly commended the Birmingham police for keeping order and preventing violence. To get a custom and plagiarism-free essay. 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. He then addresses the clergymens anxiety over their willingness to break laws. How? For any subject. The pathos appeal was prevalent in Kings letter from beginning to end. King expressed a degree of disappointment at being considered an extremist when his actions were nonviolent. Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+! After Martin Luther King looked over the clergymens unjust propositions he efficiently constructed his counter argument as he directly started his letter my dear fellow clergymen. 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. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the south, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (King 273). Hi! 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). I'm Amy, He went on to say that extremists in history have had a profound impact on many societies across the world. Only members can read the full content. 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. King was in Birmingham Jail when he composed this response. 270 students ordered this very topic and got Therefore, tugging at the heartstrings was an extremely powerful way to send a message. In other words, King borrows from the ethos of these figures to gain credibility and legitimacy in front of his readers. He made the reader sympathize with what the black people were going through on a day to day basis. As King is just following the path of his ministerial ancestors. The "letter of Birmingham Jail" was written by Martin Luther King on April 16, 1963. King used many rhetorical devices in his writing, from repetition, allusion and imagery, all the way to ethos, logos, and pathos. 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. This puts it in perspective making it hard for the reader to refute. On the surface level, King is telling a thorough story, but at a deeper glance his argument contains advanced diction and rhetoric that made his letter credible, logical, and emotional. He does this by describing just and unjust laws from multiple different angles, in ways the reader could relate to. Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+! As a member of PrimeStudyGuides.com, you get access to all of the content. Hire a verified expert to write you a 100% Plagiarism-Free paper. His perspective was that of a disappointed, black man in America, who had been subjected to all sorts of racial discrimination and segregation through the span of his life. Martin Luther King first starts off his letter by using a strong ethos appeal, by establishing his credibility to the clergy men after they referenced him as an outsider coming in. He first addresses them by saying, My Dear Fellow Clergymen. By saying this MLK is considering him as one of them showing that he is no different and deserves the same respect as they would want to be given.