Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter

During the time of the Letter from Birmingham Jail, the Civil Rights Movement was taking place. Many people protested for equality amongst people of all color. These people faced injustice, inequality, and police brutality. In Gandhi’s quote, I feel it relates to the people who went through these hardships. Throughout the Letter From Birmingham Jail, written by Martin Luther King Jr. he uses numerous amounts rhetorical devices like imagery and allusion to build his argument towards the intended audience.

Possibly the three most important components a writer must understand are audience, genre, and rhetorical situation. When reading critically we become acquainted with these concepts therefore become better writers ourselves. While learning about rhetorical writing and composition we have analyzed Billy Collins “ Commencement Address at Choate- Rosemary Hall” , Martin Luther King Jr’s “letter from Birmingham Jail” and Lloyd Bitzer’s essay on “Rhetorical Situation”. In this paper I will analyze and make connections between the concepts of audience, genre and rhetorical situation in connection to the fore-mentioned readings. In doing so I will focus on how each used these concepts as means to communicate their main ideas and purpose.

Gray and empty, the sounds of the inmates echo throughout the prison block. Controlled under superior authority, many stories are kept within the four wall cell. The Civil Rights Movement is at a peak in 1963. While prisoner in Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr., an important historical figure,constructs “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” to the eight clergymen, who wrote an open letter criticizing his actions and involvement in Birmingham, Alabama dealing with the segregation and racism going on. A Christian minister and an intelligent individual with a Doctorate in Philosophy, King powerfully and constructively writes to the clergymen. Sitting in a confined, uncomfortable prison cell, he addresses the criticisms. King utilizes techniques of diction, syntactical devices, and rhetorical devices for strategy to respond to the clergymen.

Luther writes in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” informs and states why he is in jail, and the purpose of what he is in the middle of. Martin Luther King jr addresses that when he enters the jail he is quickly criticized. He supports his claim by first answering the statements he was asked and starting with explaining what unjust and just laws was as he quotes, “An unjust law is a human, law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” (King 1064) Then it informs about the segregation laws and what he thinks is right in his opinion like repeating segregation statements that state and

Persuasive writing is most effective when all three rhetorical appeals, Logos, Pathos, and Ethos, come together to form an indisputable argument. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X are two of the most influential figures of the past few decades; similarly, their work is summarized as some of the most persuasive and controversial of all time. The audience of both of their pieces, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “The Ballot or the Bullet” include oppressed African Americans and the white oppressors themselves. Each man takes full advantage of the three rhetorical appeals to influence their audiences to support their radical theories about racial inequality in the 1960’s. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is the most effective because of its hopeful emotions, irrefutable facts and, of course, the respected author.

Martin Luther King’s response of “Letter to Birmingham Jail”, was a very fitting response to the Rhetorical situation. Dr. King wrote this powerful letter from his Birmingham, Alabama jail cell in response to several clergymen who criticized the protests he organized as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He was masterful in his descriptive writing, exhibiting peaceful, yet stern and powerful influence in his words to condemn the behavior of the clergy. His words evoked emotion, as he described how his people felt, and why they were in Birmingham to stand up for desegregation in the South. In this moving letter, King was truly a master of rhetoric, for he managed to incorporate the three points of the rhetoric triangle, make them evident, and support his argument. Using logos, ethos, and pathos from the rhetoric triangle, King refuted the clergymen’s accusations and utilized their harsh points to present his own views instead. He presented his argument, used passionate rhetoric to explain the reasons they were wrong, and made the reader understand that segregation is fundamentally wrong in a society where all men are created equal.

In the 1960's equality for the African American community still did not exist almost one hundred years after the Civil War. Dr. King received an open letter from eight Alabama clergymen. In his "Letter from Birmingham Jail" he responded with strong rhetorical devices such as the trinity of ethos, pathos, logos, and effective strategies of anaphora, repetition and periodic sentences. He does this to emanate the racial inequality and social indignity imposed on the African American communities during this time.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s essay, Letter from Birmingham Jail, he writes a letter that replies to the comments made by eight clergymen. The clergymen had said that African Americans were reacting too hastily and harshly to their environment and that they should wait for their freedom, saying it would come to them eventually. However, Dr. King explains to them, and all those reading the letter, that their freedom is not going to come willingly as well as the life they are forced to live. In one section of the letter, one which could easily be called the most significant paragraph of Dr. King’s rhetoric, he mentions how his family and the families around him are treated. The section, paragraph fourteen, uses a great deal of pathos or emotional

In a letter by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights leader uses various rhetorical

After analyzing Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” I have come to the conclusion that his letter was a very fitting response to the rhetorical situation. Dr. King wrote this powerful letter from his Birmingham, Alabama jail cell in response to several clergymen who criticized the protests he organized as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He was masterful in his descriptive writing, exhibiting peaceful, yet stern and powerful influence in his words to condemn the behavior of the clergy. His words evoked emotion, as he described how his people felt, and why they were in Birmingham to stand up for desegregation in the South. In this moving letter, King was truly a master of rhetoric, for he managed to incorporate the three points of the rhetoric triangle, make them evident, and support his argument. Using logos, ethos, and pathos from the rhetoric triangle, King refuted the clergymen’s accusations and utilized their harsh points to present his own views instead. He presented his argument, used passionate rhetoric to explain the reasons they were wrong, and made the reader understand that segregation is fundamentally wrong in a society where all men are created equal.

Race is not merely a group of people with same identity, origin and physical characters but it is an issue that involves emotions, opinions and rights. In America, people were and are recognized mainly on the basis of their skin color. This could be best witnessed in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. He introduces his arguments against injustice. He provides the reason for being in Birmingham by saying that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (__). His thesis awakes the desire to have equal rights for the blacks. Dr. King uses various rhetorical devises such as allusion, ethos, and pathos that appeals emotionally, socially, morally and makes the text relatable and important because his text responds

In the most paramount time of racism in America, there a voice that enacted a call for change. Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister and social activist who spent countless years, fighting for a civil rights. It was on the date of August 28th, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln memorial is where King made his leap of faith and spoke out on the injustice of African Americans. His dream for African Americans to be equal, appealed to the emotions of his audience. The desire to live a civil life and not be oppressed was felt by many. Martin Luther King delivered a speech that would immensely make an impact on the country.

The 1960s was a time when skin color was crucial, hate was inevitable, and where actions and words were uniform. Although accused of being an outsider, Martin Luther King Jr. was able to demonstrate his strengths and powerful influence even while confined in the walls of the Birmingham jail. The racial issues were addressed through his compelling and impassioned letter in reply to the eight prominent Alabama clergymen. Even during a time of racial injustice, King was able to establish many rhetorical strategies throughout his piece, specifically throughout paragraphs 45-50. Establishing logos and utilizing diction and syntax, are the three essential aspects that Martin Luther King Jr. used in order to portray the true message to the reader.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s creation of the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (King 563) is a perfect example of how an argumentative essay should be composed. In this essay King crafted together several key elements of literature, to get his message across to his audience in a clear captivating manner. King starts off his paper by addressing it to the “fellow clergymen” (563), who were his main audience but didn’t restrict the message to be only for that precise congregation. King’s letter was a response to the clergymen who had written about the timing of his actions. The response letter from King was composed while he was in the Birmingham jail for nonviolent protesting against segregation and discrimination of the African American people. In this letter King uses all of Aristotle’s three artistic proofs, ethos, logos and pathos, along with literary devices to touch the reader’s heart as well as giving knowledge of the on going battles he has faced.

In his letter from the Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King makes a reply to the eight white religious leaders of the South. He describes situations in which Negroes, despite the mistreatment and injustice of whites and policemen, desperately strive to attain "American freedom." As he explains the brutality and reactions of Negroes he tries to use persuasion and rhetoric to back up his argumentation. He does this by listing persuasive ways including subjective, objective, and interpersonal claims.