Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis

Thoreau painstakingly reminds the individual of the universal principle that is all people, regardless of race, color or beliefs, deserve to live lives free from the tyranny of oppression and he who does not help grant this freedom to those oppressed, is equally as damned as he who enforced it. Thoreau expanded on this idea, “There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them…they hesitate, and they regret, and sometimes they petition; but they do nothing in earnest, and with effect.” Clearly, Thoreau’s insistence is that rebuking evil is a much a moral obligation as is praising the good. In fact, he insisted, “If one honest man, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this copartnership, and be locked up in the country jail therefore, it would be the abolition of slavery in America.” Such a drastic and frank statement from Thoreau only proves how steadfast he was in his beliefs that the individual could bring forth great change. Every functioning member of society deserves the chance to make a compelling difference in the lives of those around them, regardless of factors such as race. For it is those who do not protest who aid in the condemnation.

What do you visualize when you think of a jail cell? Some might see restraints blocking them off from the rest of the world, feel cold metal or scratchy cloth against their skin, or experience the stench of sweat and despair. Martin Luther King Jr. saw a quiet place to write. After being arrested under the charge of “parading without a permit,” Dr. King used his eleven days in the Birmingham City Jail to respond to one specific instance of criticism through a letter geared to each of the many audiences that needed to learn about the desegregation campaign. Mr. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” is absolutely effective at convincing the overall audience to join and support the desegregation movement in Birmingham and across America as a result of: Reverend King’s credibility as an author due to life experience and personal background on the topic, his deep relation to and understanding of his audience(s), and his use of many types of rhetorical devices to develop eloquent, attention-grabbing writing.

Injustice is a big problem in today’s society. Martin Luther King wrote the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in which he addressed many forms of injustices that was present then and continue to be present in today’s world. Martin Luther King did a lot of things that still effect today. He got in trouble for some things as well; such as like protesting how blacks were treated. He was arrested and was sent to Birmingham City Jail. He wrote a letter to defend the strategies of nonviolent resistance to racism. He employs the use of pathos, ethos, and logos to support his argument that nonviolence resistance is definitive. Based on the pathos, ethos, and logos present in this letter, the article is overall effective to this argument.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a powerful speaker and a major contributor in the Civil Rights movement. One would think that because of the type of person he was, he would never end up in jail. Unfortunately that is exactly where he ended up due to the injustice that he faced in Birmingham, Alabama. He wrote a persuasive, straight to the point letter directed towards the white church and to those who sit idly by doing nothing about the racial injustice that engulfs the community of Birmingham. Kings argument in “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was so coercive and successful at piquing the readers’ emotions by his use of pathos in a way that typifies inactions and hypocrisy.

In his famous essay, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,’’ Martin Luther King, Jr. cites conscience as a guide to obeying just laws and defying unjust laws. In the same way, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his famous essay, “Civil Disobedience,” that people should do what their conscience tells them and not obey unjust laws. The positions of the two writers are very close; they use a common theme of conscience, and they use a similar rhetorical appeal of ethos.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and most recognized human rights activist in the sixties, tries to convince the clergymen that his non violence sit ins are the only way to get freedom for the Negros in Birmingham Alabama in his ”Letter from Birmingham Jail”. He is responding to the clergymen argument that his non violent sit ins are untimely and unwise. He uses a mixture of rhetorical analysis factors to get his point across. King formulates his cause through logos, ethos, and pathos, by giving several key points to make his argument in his letter. He argues that his direct action program is the only

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Junior uses logos and allusion to persuade the reader on the values of civil disobedience. A prime example of logos in this text is, “An unjust law is a code inflicted upon a minority which that minority had no part in enacting or creating because they did not have the unhampered right to vote(MLK, 13).” This example of logos shows the reasoning for civil disobedience and why people act upon it. For a minority to be targeted by a law that they had no part in is intolerable. The primary value for civil disobedience is equality. For a country to have a law against a minority is against the beliefs and values of civil disobedience. “There are just and there are unjust laws… An unjust law is

The idea of justice can be arbitrary. It can generally be decided based on what is deemed fair by the people, and most of the time, by the lawmakers. However, Henry David Thoreau argues in his essay Civil Disobedience that the use of moral conscience to discern unjust laws, especially from the government, and to peacefully resist them, is what serves true justice. Having been imprisoned once due to his refusal to pay the Massachusetts poll tax that supports the war against Mexico, Thoreau, as a Transcendentalist, started writing in his journal about the laws that the government imposes on its people to support unjust causes (Jacobus 134). Civil Disobedience discusses a relevant historical context— the widespread slavery and the Mexican War

In Thoreau's words, "There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them; who esteeming themselves children of Washington and Franklin, sit down with their hands in their pockets, and say that they know not what ton do, and do nothing". Thoreau is trying to encourage those who disagree with the government's laws because they go against their own moral law to do something about it rather than sit by and watch it

He introduces the idea of action from principle, which includes the commitment of striving for a better government. It doesn’t matter what one believes, but more of what one does to affirm their beliefs. Thoreau reveals an opinion that has not been explored by many before. He puts the blame on slavery to the north, rather than the south. His reasoning behind this opinion is that the south believe that what they’re doing is right, meanwhile the north knows slavery is wrong yet fails to act against it. Thoreau poses three questions of what to do when being faced with unjust laws. He asks, “shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?” His ideals have changed the ways most people view protests, and have inspired Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and other reformers throughout time.

Lyla D. Garcia Professor Barnabe Gutierrez ENGL 2327.S04 27 March 2018 Disobedience to Civil Government. Henry David Thoreau [born: 1817-1862] was an American writer and philosopher who was best known for his attacks on American social institutions and his respect for nature and simple living. Thoreau was in jail for opposing to pay his poll tax. After his release, he gave a lecture on ‘resistance to civil government’ to explain his action.

In this way, he exhibits the nonconformist belief in the value of original ideas. Keeping his faith in humanity’s morals, Thoreau later goes on to suggest that each individual should do as they please without paying mind to the concerns society may have towards their differences. Thoreau proves the point that people should follow what their intuition tells them when he states, “For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever…” (Thoreau 251). Thoreau makes a point that someone has to be the one to stick up for what he believes in. His own intuition is going to tell him what is right and wrong; once he senses this intuition, it is his responsibility to defend it or even give it a voice for the first time. Another time in Resistance to Civil Government, Thoreau portrays the desirability of individuality by saying, “I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name - if ten honest men only - aye, if one honest man, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this copartnership, and be locked up in the county jail therefor, it would be the abolition of slavery in America” (Thoreau 251). It is important to be an individual and not conform to the actions and thoughts of others.

In his piece titled "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau talks about the flaws in the American government. He stated that a government where "majority rules" is not one based on justice. He said that people should be men first, and subjects second. He explained that it is important for a person to live life with their conscience and serve the country with their conscience. In summary, he said that men should be true to themselves and government should recognize the individual as a higher and independent power. He explained that the government couldn't attack one's mind, only their body. In his other piece, titled "Walden," Thoreau stated that people needed to simplify their lives and enjoy the small things in life. He said that as one simplifies life, the laws of the universe also become more simple to that person, and one can become one with the world. He emphasized that people need to learn to love their life and accept it as it is.

Respecting the law to its complete extent leads many individuals to participate in unjust acts. Thoreau believes that citizens have the right and the responsibility to rebel against acts that they disagree with. The enslavement of even a small portion of the population and the invasion of Mexico are only a fraction of the injustices that need to be abolished. The difference between the men who serve the state and the men who serve the people is that the men who serve the state only serve the state. These citizens agree with the popular opinion to obtain higher positions of empowerment in their government, and do not think of ideas and opinions for themselves.

In Henry David Thoreau’s essay Resistance to Civil Government, he recants the classic story of his night and jail. Thoreau goes into depth on what caused him to go to jail, how his conscious led him to get there, and how the consequences were already apparent to him before he disobeyed the unjust laws being enforced upon him. In his essay, Thoreau urges his readers to do three things. Thoreau wants his readers to acknowledge that the governments gets perverted and abused, disobey laws that go against our conscience with consequences in mind, and only follow laws if they are in line with the principles that come with our conscience. Thoreau wants these assertions to be accomplished by readers independently. He wants the readers to understand that governments are not always correct, and that they should disobey the law if it goes against what they believe. He also urges readers to not wait for their fellow man, because if everyone were to do that, then nothing would change and then you would be regretfully supporting laws that you are against. Thoreau’s argumentative style is one that focuses on Individualism. Thoreau’s argument is also effective as it leads citizens to want to take a stand based on what is just, rather than what is the law, and because his essay went on to influence the major civil rights movements in India and America under Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Thoreau’s argument is effective, as it places an individualistic responsibility on his readers to strive for a better government by acknowledging that governments can become perverted and abused, by following laws that correspond do our moral beliefs and conscience, and by disobeying laws that seem unjust and accepting the consequences for doing so, thus becoming a civil disobedient.