Formula for Freedom Essay

King’s emotionally charged words of “lynch” and “brothers” showed sorrow in their lives that create the image of the clergymen to be monsters because of the word choice he used which also would lead to a sense of doubt. These emotions felt by the clergymen allowed room for improvement within society because they started to doubt themselves. King was very skillful with the use of Pathos but he only got his society in lock with the help of other Aristotelian methods.

I interpreted it as King trying to get the clergymen to acknowledge these issues by viewing it from the blacks perspective. When a person is told to look at a situation from a point of view that differs from their own, it opens doors to new perspective and understanding. Also, most people tend to lead by emotion, possibly providing King’s desired outcome of understanding and action.

He moves further into this by saying in paragraph two “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.” By stating his association with this national religious organization, he asserts that he is a very pious man and that he too has been blessed with authority from God. This is essential to his character in regards to the clergymen as they too receive authority from God, thus creating a sense of equality. By creating this identity king affectively appeals to ethos and creates a stronger moral character with his audience. Furthermore, this also gives King the ability to refute being an outsider. Since he is part of a larger organization, which has branches within the state, how can he, a man of the church, be an outsider if he was welcomed here as stated in paragraph two, where the passage reads “..the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program...So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here.” He has now extinguished the thought of him being an “outsider” and created the image that he is welcome, and should not be considered an outsider.

King’s use of many rhetorical devices in these three paragraphs of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” solidify his conviction that segregation needs to be quelled immediately. Dr. King’s explanations justify the demonstrations and protests that he is participating in. Although this was a letter meant for clergymen, Dr. King simultaneously taught all of America a very important lesson: justice is a universal natural right, and when it is denied, it needs to be demanded. Racial equality is the form of justice in this case, as segregation was the culprit that divided society into two racial groups. Thus, Dr. King successfully advocated civil rights through this letter with powerful, clever

In response to the clergymen’s letter stating that his action is “unwise and untimely”, Martin Luther King, Jr. step by step refutes the assumptions made by the clergymen. He makes effective use of storytelling, pre-counter and qualification of arguments, and appeals to logic, emotions and credence through morality.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s response to a public statement of concern from multiple Southern white religious leaders entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is perhaps one of the most important and influential pieces dedicated to the fight for equality written in the last one hundred years. It is striking just how much of the content within this letter continues to ring true. Numerous arguments King makes are still extremely relevant today, and it is nearly impossible to engage with and reflect on this text without drawing parallels to the current political landscape. This paper will discuss exactly how particular points

Martin Luther King’s (MLK) “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” was written in 1963 as a response to the Eight Alabama Clergymen’s public statement against King’s actions in April of that year. Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist for desegregation of the south in the early 1960s and overcame much adversity to attain incredible gains on the segregation issue in the United States. King uses effective persuasive appeals of logical evidence, emotional appeal, and author credibility to win over his audience in “The Letter from Birmingham Jail.” MLK’s writing shows the effects of segregation in Birmingham with clear direct language and heart wrenching examples.

The primary goal of a sermon in church is to convince or persuade the congregation to turn to God and follow his ways and beliefs. A sermon is commonly broken up into several subsections beginning with “(1) an introduction ‘to establish a common ground of religious feeling’; (2) ‘a statement of the text’ which is often drawn directly from the Bible; (3) the ‘body of the sermon,’ which consists of repeated emotional climaxes; and (4) the ‘conclusion’ which resolves the emotional tension aroused by the sermon by drawing the sinners to God.” (Pipes 143). Based on these characteristics and King’s religious background and experience as a preacher, it is logical to argue that the structure of “A Letter from the Birmingham Jail” resembles that of a sermon which is aimed at an audience much larger than that of just eight clergymen. Through his brilliant use of persuasive methods and emotional appeal, Martin Luther King turns a simple response to a letter into a national cause for white support to combat segregation.

King criticizes, “the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as irrelevant social club…” (King 58). This statement warns the church to make a difference or it will become irrelevant. This draws fear, as the phrase “judgment of God” refers to God’s wrath and the consequences placed upon those who cause injustice. By calling the Church, “an irrelevant social club,” King criticizes the church for becoming a club where people joke rather than follow Christ’s word. Lastly, King uses pathos by describing the injustice done to African Americans during their peaceful protests, “I don’t believe you would have so warmly commended the police if you had seen its angry violent dogs literary biting six unarmed, nonviolent Negroes”(King 59). This example awakens emotion, and urges the reader to help those in need.

Words have the ability to spark change in the world around us; the way one conducts and organizes his words can start an innovation among a world of blind people. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was imprisoned in the Birmingham Jail for being a participant in a non-violent demonstration against segregation. While imprisoned, he wrote the infamous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in response to a public statement of concern issued by eight white religious leaders of the South. King brings hope for positive change that the white clergymen will understand the underlying problems and the necessity for an alternative mindset . He stresses on the need for action and acceptance of colored people with his influential words, rather sooner than later. By inspiring sympathy through emotional and credible appeals and demonstrating an obvious logic through sophisticated syntax, King effectively argues the need for a civil rights movement.

King begs for a civil and peaceful resolution to the unjust laws and unfair treatment of African Americans. But, as history shows, the clergymen were not going to have anything to do with that. King says that he is trying to do this in the best way possible but it will not seem that way, “In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law… One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.”(par. 12)

In this article “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr. discussed the problems with racial inequality that African Americans were facing in the 1960s. King wants freedom for his “people”. He wanted to discourage Americans from tolerating racial discrimination and to advise Americans to live up to the ideals of the country’s belief that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He is trying to convince the clergymen that the actions he took were absolutely necessary at this time. In doing this, he provides a valid argument using Ethos, Logos, and Pathos throughout his piece.

“The judgement of God is upon the church as never before. If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century” Here King conveys a sense of urgency by suggesting that the church has potential to falter if the people do not make a change now. King also refers to the church as “an irrelevant social club” this statement could anger the clergymen or other readers. By pulling emotions out the audience, King brigs the audience into his work and emphasizes the importance of his words.

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.

Expressing disappointment towards the church leaders, he states that they should do more, to help the minority stand on their two feet, and not feel discriminated against. This is because following the teachings of God, every human being is equal. Therefore, the church must help structure society closest to how The Bible shows. King fought for this same equality. However, being verbally reprimanded and going to jail for voicing his rights, he shows what happens when you go against the norm of society. The church is there to break those norms, and construct new ideals in accordance with the word of God.