How Did Martin Luther King Jr Use Pathos And Logos

Both speeches written by Elie Wiesel “The Perils of Indifference” and Martin Luther king Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” give rhetorical responses that contain the three elements ethos, pathos, and logos. Elie Wiesel focuses more pathos and logos to gain sympathy towards his audience in a logical way. He was a survivor of the Holocaust separated from his family through several concentration camps. His parents and his sister died while being separated but Wiesel is able to confidently talk about his experiences. Wiesel begins by thanking America for saving him but moves on in an angry fashion. He asks a rhetorical question about indifference; he explains it to be the lack of sympathy people have towards others and that people try and avoid others in need. This statement is using both pathos and logos by explaining his question, but you also sense the emotion of helplessness. Overall, he seemed abandoned by many people believing more could have helped instead of being bystanders. Wiesel wants to change how the world functions so that more people care about others. The next article by Martin Luther King Jr. “makes a case for civil disobedience and eloquently opposes the murderous status quo”. He explains his speech in a pathos and logos way as well by feeling taken advantage of and gives logical evidence to prove his argument. Martin was put into Birmingham Jail for being labeled as an extremist, however, he gives several points as to why the authorities were wrong. Instead

King uses logos in paragraph seventeen, when King is defining an unjust law. He describes an unjust law as “a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal.” In defining the term “unjust law”, King is appealing to one’s logic because definitions are a sound idea. Another example of logos is in paragraph twenty five, in which King is defending his position that he should not be arrested on charges of violence when his direct action plan is the opposite of violent. He compares this to another situation, stating, “Isn’t this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?” This is an excellent example of logos because no just person would say that it makes sense to arrest the robbed, not the robber. These examples help develop the purpose of the letter because they show how illogical it is that the African Americans are treated this way.

Martin Luther King uses Pathos when he says “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”

In 1963, minister and rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech in front of Lincoln memorial to bring awareness to the unfairness of injustice for black people. King's speech was an effort to try and mandate the coming together of the black and white race and finally have the equality between us all be put into force for a free nation. As the speech left King’s mouth and entered 250,000 citizens ears, it left them to think about what point he was trying to make because he uses pathos, logos, and ethos.

In paragraph 6 Martin Luther King Jr uses logos by stating facts about “There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any city in this nation.” Martin Luther King Jr uses this quote to show that Birmingham was attacking African Americans more than any other city in the nation; showing how segregation was strongly shown in Birmingham. Also in paragraph 11 Martin Luther King Jr uses pathos by showing the reader how he feels trying to persuade us to feel the same, in the quote “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 the tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking in agonizing pathos: ‘Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?’” Martin Luther King Jr talks about having to explain to his

In Martin Luther King Jr’s famous speech, King uses Logos and Pathos to express the Negroes’ fight for fair treatment. “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence… was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’” (pg. 261-262, P4) This quote from MLK’s powerful speech used Logos by presenting a logical and convincing fact. It states how our founding fathers wrote the freedom of African Americans in the same legendary documents that we follow and live by today, not just white people, but all men are created equal. Other than using Logos to appeal to his large audience in front of the Lincoln Memorial, he also presented a large amount of emotional phrases

Martin Luther King Jr.’s extraordinary use of logos is apparent in his letter from the beginning. In the first paragraph, King states “If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day,

Written by Martin Luther King Jr., the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a paragon of persuasive writing that takes advantage of ethos, pathos, and logos in order to convince its readers to take MLK’s side during the American civil rights movement. The use of ethos defines MLK as a credible writer; the use of pathos appeals to his audience on a personal level; and the use of logos layers his arguments and claims with irrefutable reasoning and logic. By using all three techniques, MLK is able to hold the attention of his readers and persuade them to take his side in the battle against segregation.

First Martin Luther King effectively makes use of logos throughout his letter. He clarifies all of the reasons for his arguments and supports them

In his “Letter to Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King employs the use of logos and allusions to strengthen his point and get others to see his stance on advocating for civil disobedience. King uses logos in the quote, “So the purpose of the distraction is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitable open the door to negotiation (King, page 7). The logos in this text is persuasive because his logic follows a clear path and makes sense to the vast majority of people. Most can understand the reasoning behind what King is saying and how it relates to the matter at hand. The logic also gives the impression that King knows what he’s talking about when he makes this sensible and rational statement.

For example, in lines 69-76, King answers the critics questioning of his use of direct action and marches to protest against segregation. He states that “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. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored” (71-73). This explanation is so broken down and easy to understand that it would not make sense to disregard it and agree with the critics. Another instance in which King uses logos is when, as mentioned above, he references the Holocaust and Hitler’s mistreatment of Jews in lines 181 to 185. He discusses how the definitions of “illegal” and “legal” were skewed during that horrific time period. King connects how the definitions in Germany during the Holocaust are similar to the definitions during the Civil Rights Movement about segregation. This appeals to the critics and readers logos because it forces them to think about how terrible the Holocaust was and the treatment of Jews, and realize that the Jews and the African-Americans were being treated in a similar sense. The way King uses logos, is very effective because he makes his ideas and points have sound reasoning while politely diminishing the reasoning of the

The speech by Malcolm X that was given at the King Solomon Baptist Church, Detroit, Michigan on April 12, 1964 was a very emotional speech that was intended to motivate the African American community to vote. Malcolm X uses pathos very successfully in this speech. He believes the key to change the situation in the black community is the Negro vote. He believes the government has failed the black people and that they are a victim of the Democracy. Malcolm X believes that African Americans will gain there independence by electing an African American. He believes in gaining control of the economy will help the African Americans be prosperous and control their future. This use of logos by Malcolm X is the most important part of defending

In Martin Luther King’s Jr essay “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” he uses ethos, pathos, and logos to establish his argument. First, let’s establish what all these means to the reader. Ethos gives the writer credibility, Logos is establish to the reader at what is logical, and Pathos is established with sympathy. When you think of Justice for all, we tend to think of your constitutional rights for all walks of life. But King is saying that this is not the case for the African American race back in early history. Some may think that King was only fighting the rights of the African American people, but the truth of the matter, he was fighting for all walks of life.

Martin Luther King’s use of Pathos and Logos in “I have a Dream” showcases how he uses the devices to inspire others, compared to how he uses these rhetorical devices in “Letter From Birmingham Jail” to persuade the Clergymen. Martin Luther King, also referred to MLK, uses both Pathos and Logos to fit the audiences and occasions for each text. His uses of Pathos and Logos in these two texts are examples of how words can inspire change.

Martin Luther King Jr. is predicated closely on pathos and ethos