Arguments Of King In A Letter From A Birmingham Jail

The majority of the sentences in King’s letter can be connected to logos, pathos or ethos and his incorporation of appeals is masterful.

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote this letter from a jail in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. King’s wrote this letter for eight white clergymen who unapproved of his nonviolent protests for racial equality and segregation. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. King been arrested and is writing to the clergymen about why he felt the need to be protesting also reasons why the clergymen should care. In this letter, Martin Luther King Jr. uses persuasion to show that the clergymen and the church should be ashamed of themselves for discontinuing his nonviolent protest. Throughout “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr. remains calm, although he is in jail for leading nonviolent protest for equality and ending segregation. King believes that if

King constantly uses questions throughout “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to make the reader think deeply about the topic being discussed, the questions he asked are called rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question is a question that you ask without expecting an answer. One main question that King asks is “How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust?” (King pg.324). A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of god, and an unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law (324). King wants the clergymen to understand the true meaning of just and unjust laws, he hopes that they will question their own false meaning of the words just and unjust. Sit-ins and marches are just a few of the ways that civil rights activists fight against the unjust laws of segregation, but “isn’t negotiation a better path?” (322).

In Dr. King's essay 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' he addresses the claims made about his arrest by the eight clergymen. His responses are very long and detailed, giving a very compelling and moving point of view. His letter is directed to his audience, which consists of white middle class citizens who Dr. King refers to as the 'white moderates'. Dr. King's letter is very persuasive because his use of pathos makes the audience think or imagine themselves in the situation. It is very poignant of him to write his letter this way. He is in touch with the views of his audience, which makes a greater impact on his readers. Dr. King uses antecdotes to make his readers see the injustice

In his "Letter," Martin Luther King Jr.'s ability to effectively use pathos, or to appeal to the emotions of his audiences, is evident in a variety of places. More particularly in paragraph fourteen, King demonstrates his ability to inspire his fellow civil rights activists, invoke empathy in the hearts of white moderates, and create compassion in the minds of the eight clergyman to which the "Letter" is directed.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," was very persuasive to a wide variety of audiences. Not only did he directly address the writers of the newspaper article, but included fellow African Americans with their struggle to gain acceptance. What makes this letter persuasive, is the amount of examples and situations described by Martin Luther King Jr. King also gains credibility by citing these sources without a history book, using only his own intellect that shows that he is not just your average man.

Furthermore, logos, logic and reasoning, in King’s letter gives the reader a better understanding and factual knowledge on the issue, which is incredibly exemplified in King’s letter. This includes the truth about the harsh conditions that African Americans have been living under and King does an excellent job of laying out the facts without bending the truth or misleading the reader. He states that the Negro community had no alternative except

In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and sent to jail because he and others were protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama. A court had ordered that King could not hold protests in Birmingham. Birmingham in 1963 was a hard place for blacks to live in. Everything was segregated, from businesses to churches to libraries. Blacks faced constant discrimination and the constant threat of violence. In Martin Luther King’s letter to the clergymen he uses rhetorical techniques to get his point across to his audience. The intended audience of the letter is the white clergyman and white “moderates” of Birmingham Alabama. In Dr. King’s letter uses logical evidence, emotional aspects and good motives to present his beliefs to his

In his letter from the Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King makes a reply to the eight white religious leaders of the South. He describes situations in which Negroes, despite the mistreatment and injustice of whites and policemen, desperately strive to attain "American freedom." As he explains the brutality and reactions of Negroes he tries to use persuasion and rhetoric to back up his argumentation. He does this by listing persuasive ways including subjective, objective, and interpersonal claims.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is often credited as being one of the great leaders of the civil rights movement. King understood how to capture an audience’s attention and persuade individuals. Approach and rhetoric are both crucial elements when trying to persuade an audience. The writing style-direct or explorative-must fit the context of the argument, while the rhetoric employed must be convincing. Both David Foster Wallace and Martin Luther King, Jr. utilized these techniques to persuade their audience, however, King crafts a much more persuasive letter. Throughout Martin Luther King, Jr.’s letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he uses a direct approach, strong ethos and pathos to convey his message to the reader, whereas in David Foster Wallace’s article, “Consider the Lobster”, his similar techniques fall flat.

My favorite piece out of the selection is Martin Luther King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” because it highlights a social problem in an interesting and inspirational way. The writing is enthralling, and the strong declarations the author makes call the reader to action. It pokes fun of the imperial principles back then, and uses anecdotes of children to cause an appeal to the audience’s pathos.

In this letter, King fights for what he believes in which is equality. He calls for nonviolent action from everyone and especially from religious figures who are near the center of these issues. He requests action to fight

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.

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior in his piece, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” shows that refulgent writers transcend normal writing. King needed to convince a group of white town leaders that what they fundamentally believed and stood for was immoral. Throughout the letter, King evokes his passion through rhetoric, tone, and real-life experiences. This passion was fueled by what King witnessed in Birmingham and other communities, as a result of racist leaders. His resulting style and structure of writing showed that he was invested in instigating change. Mainly, the late doctor’s letter pushes, without crossing boundaries, fundamental social change. King knew that his opinion was not popular, thus he was compelled to know his audience well. By reading about the way in which Martin Luther King Junior wrote with passion, especially his use of imagery, we can learn to be more effective writers.