Ballad Of Birmingham Jail Essay

In arguing, writers use different techniques to effectively convey their message to their intended audience. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was a response to "A Call for Unity" by eight white clergymen in which King’s presence in Birmingham and his methods of public demonstration were questioned. King’s letter was not only a response to his presence in Birmingham, but he also used the opportunity to address the unjust proposals by the clergymen that Negroes wait for the legal system to abolish segregation and unjust laws. King uses rhetorical modes of persuasion such as ethos, pathos and logos to meticulously address and discredit the claims made by the

On April 16, 1963, from a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. composed an extensive letter to eight clergymen who condemned the timing of the civil rights movement. Although the letter was addressed to these eight clergymen, the Letter from Birmingham Jail speaks to a national audience, especially King’s “Christian and Jewish brothers”(King, 29). His peaceful but firm letter serves as a remarkably persuasive voice to an immensely chaotic mess, and is seen as a major turning point in the civil rights movement. King believes that without direct action, the full rights for African Americans could never be achieved. He defends the impatience of people in the civil rights movement, upholding that without forceful

       Martin Luther King Jr's “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written during his 8 day sentence in jail in 1963. He chose to travel and protest in Birmingham due to the fact that it was widely known as one of the most segregated city in the U.S. The letter not only addresses the issues of unjustly being arrested for being an "extremist" of his approach to the protest, and of the incompetence of the church but its also an appeal for things to be seen from his point of view.

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. resolutely responds to eight clergymen who question his methods of protest against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Specifically, in paragraphs 12-14, Dr. King explains why his protests are indeed being done in a timely manner to obtain the “constitutional and God-given rights” (A Portable Anthology, page 207) that Africans have been restricted of for over 340 years. Dr. King’s argument, combined with his strategic use of rhetorical devices to enhance it, helps create a palpable feeling of understanding that captivates the audience into seeing America through his vision.

Finally, racism was a major theme, and it was even the cause of the letter’s writing. For example, Dr. King said that though “it is unfortunate that so-called demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham at this time, but . . . it is even more unfortunate that the white power structure of this city left the Negro community with no other alternative” (78), describing how it was racism that forced his actions which led him to be jailed. Dr. King further described the immense racism present at the time by noting that “There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in this nation” (78).

“A Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. was written in the margins of a letter posted by the clergymen of Alabama at this time that sparked his interest and while he inhabited the jail cell for parading around without a permit. This time allowed him the ability to respond wholeheartedly to this cynical oppressing. King’s letter addresses specific points presented in the Clergymen’s and this direct response distinguishes King’s strong points through his powerful writing.  Unethical and immoral mentions came to the attention of the Minister through the letter, and he expressed his differing views and defended his ideals and actions through Aristotle’s three rhetorical devices, ethos, logos, and pathos.

In the year of 1963, Martin Luther King was imprisoned for peacefully marching in a parade as a nonviolent campaign against segregation. In Martin Luther King’s essay “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” the paragraphs that have the most emotional appeal are, just as the critics say, paragraphs thirteen and fourteen. King tugs at the reader’s emotions in these specific paragraphs using very detailed examples about the difficult, heart-wrenching misfortunes that have happened to the African American society and what they had to endure on a daily basis in Birmingham by using metaphors, contrasts, alliteration, anaphora, and imagery. As taken from an excerpt of “MLK - Letter From A Birmingham Jail,” In paragraphs thirteen and fourteen of Letter

Chapter VI: Why does the narrator leave Jacksonville for New York? What does he do during his first night in New York? With what result? How does he respond to hearing ragtime music for the first time?

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.

Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, was arrested and placed in Birmingham jail after leading a non-violent march to protest racism in the streets of Alabama- a highly segregated state at the time. There he received a newspaper containing “A Call for Unity,” which was written by eight white Alabama clergymen criticizing King and his movement’s methods; this prompted King to write a letter in response to the critics. Martin Luther King Jr. employs ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade and demonstrate to the critics and other readers the many injustices of segregation.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail was written by Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. in April of 1963, as he sat, as the title states, in a Birmingham, Alabama jail. King had been jailed for his participation in a peaceful protest of segregation in public places such as lunch counters and public restrooms (Berkley, 2003). While jailed, King read a criticism of the protest by a group of white ministers, who felt such demonstrations “directed and in part led by outsiders” were “unwise and untimely”, suggesting that blacks should wait for the court system to work. (Statement by Alabama clergymen, 1963). Dr. King’s letter was written as a response to the criticism (King, 1963).

For almost any right movement, or important period of time, in the history of the world, there are readings that will correlate with these movements. For example, during the Civil Rights Movement there was “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr., for the feminism movement, there was Riot Grrrl Manifesto, and so many more important readings that go along with important movements. These readings all have one common thing in common, they call for action in some part of the movement. In The Lives of Animals by J.M. Coetzee, there are some points made by Elizabeth Costello, the main character of the novella that could be used to represent the views that this group believes in. Elizabeth Costello is a vegetarian, which she strongly

As I was laying down and sleeping, I kept hearing rats’ chattering teeth. I opened my eyes, and I saw the pendulum moving towards me. I then tried to move as fast I could, but I could not because I was tied up with a rope.Then I stopped thinking for a second because I was very scared . Later on, I looked at the ground, and I saw the rats attacking a piece of bread. I tried to pull up the bread from the ground ,but the rats climbed on top of me and chew through the rope. As the rats were chewing the rope, the pendulum was a few inches far away from me; so as soon as the rats finished cutting the rope, I fell on the ground and tried to run away so I can get out from the prison. At the same time, the pendulum retracts to the ceiling, and I conclude that people must be watching me for every move.

Decisions, decisions, decisions!!! No matter how old we are, where we live, from what religion, socio-economic background, race, or what we do in life, we face life-changing decisions every day. This is quite true for the short stories Good People by David Foster Wallace, Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin, and Ballad of Birmingham by Dudley Randall. Decisions can sometimes cause us happiness but in these stories, decisions cause these characters mostly grief, stress, regrets, and wishing the decisions were made differently. Decisions, which comes often times from weaknesses, are the major character flaw that bring persons in these stories down, creating a tragedy in their lives that probably haunt them in some way, fashion, or form forever.

The poem is based on true events. On September 15, 1963, a church was bombed in the city of Birmingham. The city got a nickname, “Bombingham” because of the bombing occurrences that happened often by the KKK. This is why the poet, Dudley Randall, wrote a poem about this tragic event because he had a strong feeling about people being mistreated for their color of skin. They suffered and wanted to put an end to racism and segregation. This is what influenced them to march and protest. In the poem, the little girl is asking her mother if she can go and march for their freedom but the mother says no because it is too dangerous for her to go. She rather have her child go to church and be safe than be in danger, but it turned out to be a tragic accident taking her daughter to church.