An Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

By 1963, when Martin Luther King planned a campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. During the demonstration he was arrested and lives in the jail for eight days. While he was in prison, he wrote his "letter from Birmingham Jail" to explain his actions and those who urged him to call off the demonstrations. Martin Luther King Jr. Birmingham Jail is important because, he explains the reasons for the non-violent demonstrations, he shows that black people are intelligent, and he criticizes the unjust laws of black people.

Martin Luther King in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” argues that “a just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law” (110). King believes that God creates man in his own image, and for that reason King dedicated his life to fight for the equality of all American, and for the civil rights. According to King unfair laws have never had any presence of a single gain in civil rights without legal determination or nonviolent pressure. The support of some laws causes people much displeasure with the constitutional law surrounding abortion. King states the four stages of protesting injustices to black people, which were: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. These same principles should be applied to protect the babies that have no voice simply because the baby has yet to be born. Anti-abortion protests has been effective because protesters have influenced changes in some state laws which also has created awareness on the topic and has even get more people saying the unborn is a baby instead of a fetus.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King responds to the clergymen’s criticism on his non-violent actions being “unwise and untimely.” In his introduction, King uses front loading to provide a preview and background of what his letter will discuss. As he justifies why his actions were not “unwise or untimely” King addresses the bigger issue of the black community suffering injustices and the need to take action for justice. To convey his arguments King effectively uses quotations, allusions and pathos to support his argument and to refute what his opposition is saying.

Martin Luther King Jr. 's 1963 "Letter from Birmingham Jail", a rhetorical masterpiece, was written in response to eight clergymen’s statements condemning his nonviolent direct actions. He defends the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights nonviolent, direct action against individuals, institutions, and laws that look the other way while unjust racial prejudice against African Americans runs rampant in Birmingham. Using three main appeals, Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Dr. King communicates the struggle that was the essence of human rights, equality. Appealing to the logic, ethics, and emotions of the reader strengthens his rebuttal of the opposition, helps him gain support, and clearly justify the recent direct action he led. King uses logos to illustrate his argument and invalidate the opposition to his claim, leading the reader to side with his position. Exampling this, he demonstrates that direct action is not opposed to negotiation, contrary to what his fellow clergyman believe, and states “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” (King par 9).

Every writer needs an inspiration to craft a brilliant literary piece. Whether this inspiration is tangible or intangible, it is still necessary. Some forms of inspiration come as passionate love while others appeal as injustice. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was a response to "A Call for Unity" by eight white clergymen. His inspiration for writing the letter was the clergymen's unjust proposals and the letter allowed him to present his rebuttal. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen, and then using logos, pathos, and ethos to refute his opponent's statements and present his own perspective.

Do you have what it takes to make the morally correct choice? An even better Question is: What are you willing to give up to save another? Martin Luther King gave up his freedom in an attempt and to gain civil rights for the people of Birmingham. Peter Singer explains if you give up just $200 you can save the life of someone with nothing. King and Peter Singer both used honesty to convey their message of what is right and what is wrong, but they both describe very different situations that hold their case and point. King wrote his letter from Birmingham jail on April 16, 1963. Dr. King wrote this letter to his fellow clergymen who defamed the action of Dr. King and the Southern Christian leadership Conference. In King’s response he honestly told his fellow brothers of the church that he was angered by their criticism and explained his actions in Birmingham. Peter Singer wrote “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” on September 5, 1999 for the “New York Time”. It is an honest piece that describes the difference between morally right and wrong. Singer talks about two people who both make the morally choice in the eyes of society and explains to the audience how we as America choose to do nothing to help but they can still buy expensive cars.

During the course of living human being are subjected to many controversial arguments and ethical stations. Education in concept of ethical reasoning and in the fundamentals of the principles are important for one to be skilled in ethical reasoning. Ethical reasoning is a very important element in human nature of living either professionally or individually. Ethical reasoning offers critics with the capability to represent viewpoints, ideas and make judgement. Moreover ethical reasoning enable critics’ to consciously give examination for them to reach a solution that does not harm anybody else. Ethical reasoning can be defined as arguing the wrong and the right of human behavior.

Throughout history, there have been many significant documents and speeches that enlighten and inform us on what is and was happening during those times. Abraham Lincoln’s speech, The Perpetuation of our Political Institutions, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail are two important pieces of history. In Lincoln’s speech he speaks about the dangers of slavery in the United States and warned everybody that people who disrespected American laws could destroy the United States. On the other hand, Martin Luther King Jr. defended the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism, and argued that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws. Based on these facts, Martin Luther King Jr does not agree with Lincoln’s counsel.

Martin Luther King Jr. discusses the advantages and purposes for his theory of nonviolent direct action in his Letter From Birmingham City Jail. He shows four basic steps that must be taken to achieve nonviolent action. They include 1) collection of facts to determine whether injustices are alive; 2) negotiation; 3) self-purification; and 4) direct action. Each of these steps will be explained as part of King's argument later in this essay. The main purpose of a nonviolent campaign is to force any community to confront a problem rather than refuse to negotiate or face a specific issue. In the letter, King discusses his group's reasons for coming to Birmingham.

:"Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a powerful piece of writing that graces the writings by Martin Luther. Part of the power lies in the use of rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos, and pathos in the letter. Luther used these stylistic devices and literary approaches to express his message, intention and express the mood of the letter making a masterpiece like no other letters before.

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” after an unjust proposal made by eight white clergymen. Their claims were to be that no Negro “outsider” should be allowed to establish or lead any protest and should leave them to their local neighborhoods. King replied directly to the clergymen, but used religious ties to also have his voice heard in the public. In his counter argument, King strategically used logical evidence, emotional aspects and good motives to present his perspective to the clergymen.

After reading Dr. King Letter from Birmingham Jail along with many other related articles and analysis that was done by various authors, I have come out with the following in regard to underlying questions that were to address:

In Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, he elicits that injustice is the backbone of all the social evils taking place within the country. In his letter, he writes to persuade his fellow clergymen claiming that his demonstrations and actions are necessary and imperative in fighting against the imperfections of society. He discusses the importance that injustice continues to spread unless there is an individual who rises above the unfair norms; and speaks out his mentality to bring to surface hidden tensions that will help to differentiate between the importance of laws that respect an individual over laws that degrade one.

When mainly anyone thinks of the word “extreme” you will probably have a negative image or thought. Extreme is thought to be daring or rebellious maybe, but extreme can mean many different things, some of which are a good thing. Extremism is a big point in Martin Luther King Junior’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in some of his last few paragraphs. King uses different historical evidence and rhetorical strategies to appeal to his audience in different ways. It is good to use all these different strategies and devices because it gives King an advantage to appeal to his audience in different ways and persuade them in his writings.

Just as Sophocles's Antigone presents topics that are culturally radical and politically contentious, Dr. Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail achieves the same purpose and goal. The Letter from Birmingham Jail is a very inspiring and well-written piece that Dr.Martin Luther King wrote from his small jail cell in order to express his feelings and help make a salient difference in the world. Dr. King proposed topics that indeed are socially uncomfortable, politically contentious, religious irreverent, and culturally radical. He did so by conveying a big amount of thought in his word choice and language as he wrote about his feelings and experiences in this letter.