Beyond Vietnam Ethos Pathos Logos

After being jailed in the Birmingham city jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister who preached nonviolence, wrote this response to a published statement by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama. This letter was not only composed under somewhat constricting circumstances but was written in a way that can be analyzed to be considered as a classic argument. Not only does it contain the five elements needed in a rhetorical situation, but the letter includes the six parts of an argument, the five types of claims, and even the three types of proofs. Dr. King’s letter fully satisfies all requirements needed in order to be considered a classic argument.

Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetorical appeals. It’s clear Dr. King wanted to entice the reader when he wrote this letter. Martin Luther King Jr. uses these appeals in his letter to get the reader involved and thinking. He uses ethos to divulge that he is a good leader and he has authority. Also, he uses logos to communicate with the reader that it is logic behind the things he does. He doesn’t just act mindlessly; he thinks things through before taking any action. This is how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetorical devices to appeal to his

The year is 1963, the date April 16th. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is sitting in his cell in Birmingham, Alabama writing what we know today as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. In this 12 page letter, found in Writing Arguments a Rhetoric with Readings by John Ramage, John Bean, and June Johnson, Dr. King describes his outrage and disappointment with society and finally his want for society to recognize racial prejudice. In his letter, he uses Pathos, or emotional appeal, ethos, appeal to authority/reputation, and logos, appeal to logic, to help with his argument. Dr. King uses a lot of emotional appeal and diction when writing his argument so that he could appeal to his intended audience as best he could.

MLK knew that he had to use emotion to persuade his audience, Aristotle spoke of three distinct possible ways to persuade an audience: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. MLK uses pathos as his primary method to gain the appeal of his audience. MLK also knew that in the speech to follow there would be many different classes of people and education amongst this audience therefore he spoke to the people using emotion and spirituality to put everyone

Martin Luther King Jr., an American Baptist minister and a Civil Rights activist, became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He is widely known for his speech that took place on 28 August 1963, “I Have a Dream.” This speech aimed toward the entire nation. King’s main purpose in this speech was to convince his audience to demand racial justice and for them all to stand up together for their rights. In this speech, King uses emotional and logical appeal to gain the audience's support. He applied many rhetorical devices to his speech to connect with the audience’s emotions, and to logically support his arguments.

Introduction: Martin Luther King, employ rhetorical appeals to convince the Clergymen and Birmingham City about the brutal treatment the African Americans were facing during the Civil Rights Movement were unjust.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a renowned civil rights activist who worked tirelessly to gain equal rights for all African-Americans. He was known throughout the world and his speeches continue to gain attention because of their quality. King was a gifted speaker and knew how to build a proper argument. He built up his credibility and targeted the logic and emotions of his audience. Without Martin Luther King Jr. the civil rights movement may not have seen as much success, and segregation may still have affected us today. By studying King’s work, people can learn much about rhetoric and argument. One of his most persuasive pieces was his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This piece was written on just one of the occasions King was thrown in jail for protesting segregation and the Jim Crow Laws. It was written to eight clergymen who condemned his actions. However, King realized the letter was likely to get attention from more than just the clergymen, and he tailored the letter to include more than one audience. Paragraph 31 found on pages twelve and thirteen of the letter contains the most effective argument in regards to the eight clergymen. It provides emotional and logical arguments for justice and are fully credible because of the sourcing they use.

Martin Luther King Jr., the author of “Letter to Birmingham Jail,” that was written in 1963, uses many rhetorical strategies throughout his letter;. Additionallyconsequently, he uses these strategies to get his points across. For example,The rhetorical devices he employsuses are repetition, he uses ethos, and he uses rhetorical questions. During the time he gave his speech, was during the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Furthermore, segregation was happening, and racial discrimination between blacks and whites is commonplace.were not treated equally. King uses d rhetorical strategies in order to emphasize what he was most passionate about; he was his passionate about - equality and nonviolent protestings, for he was a black himself. He usesd his letter in order to bring about make a change. Therefore, he needed to really get the listeners’ attention.

Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” is persuading because of his authoritative language, political opinions, and an outreach to his readers. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is also persuading with his use of an analytical language, repetition, and criticisms. Not only are the authors using the same techniques, but also using them differently for their desired result.

One of the most influential and famous Americans of all history announced this speech, most definitely allowing this address to be trustworthy nd truthful. Besides being a well know activist, Martin Luther King Jr. was reverend who has also had many written books. Consequently, allowing him to have had experience with writing and how to convey an idea among people. This is evident with his use of many literary element used. Overall, Martin Luther King Jr. was a renowned historical figure who without a doubt can be credited to be a trustworthy source of ideas.

In Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Dr. King uses the rhetoric devices of ethos, pathos, and logos throughout the whole letter. While each component of his letter is an important key part of the process of persuasion, I believe that paragraph twenty-one is the strongest within his letter. Within this paragraph King uses multiple examples of mainly logos, but also pathos and egos in harmony in order to further prove his point of persuasion to his audience. These rhetoric devices were used in a way that I believe gave Martin Luther King Jr. the upper hand in approaching his audience. His audience throughout the paper was broad, but I believe that this paragraph addressed an important audience: The Clergymen. Not only does King use these rhetoric devices, he uses them in way that bring about the most benefits in terms of persuading his audience to agree

The rhetorical device that I thought was most effective was his use of Pathos. I believe his purpose for using this type of rhetoric is to reach the heart of those he was writing to in hopes of moving them so much so that they feel a, “call to action,” so to speak. While some may argue that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s(MLK) use of logos was most effective, I disagree because while it is possible to persuade someone with logic, wouldn’t you feel compelled to act immediately if something moves your heart rather than waiting for your brain to convince your heart and then act. For example, in paragraph 7, it states, “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights.” as well as, “when you suddenly find your tongue

uses is pathos. One example of using pathos is when he says “...when you suddenly find your tongue-twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children…” This is an effective example of pathos because this is a general topic that would make anyone feel guilty or sad. When the reader starts to feel bad about the problem, it helps persuade the reader towards Martin Luther King’s side of the argument. Stating that the tears were “welling up”, adds imagery and makes the audience feel as if they could actually picture this scene.

Being deprived of something is felt by the underprivileged, rather than those who have lost nothing. King expresses this thought and calls for action, using Aristotle's method to show that the situation at hand calls for deep contemplation and direct action. This method of persuasion is used diligently by King since it appeals to the reader in three distinguishable senses. In his “Letter to Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King uses the Aristotelian methods, ethos, logos, and most importantly, pathos, to effectively persuade his audience by engaging them emotionally, and logically, along with building his own credibility.

Thesis Statement: A weapon developed for a nation’s defense is the envy of other nation’s conquest.