Rhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King’s inspiration for writing his, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was mainly to appeal to an undeniable injustice that occurred during his time. His letter was in response tos eight white clergymen, who objected to King protesting in Birmingham. Dr. King effectively crafted his counterargument after analyzing the clergymen’s unjust proposals and then he was able to present his rebuttal. Dr. King effectively formed his counterargument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen and then using logos, pathos and egos to present his own perspective on his opponent’s statements.

Throughout section three, one can frequently see King’s use of figurative language to reiterate his points. Metaphors more

Throughout his letter, King talks about how unfair the white Americans were towards the black nation, he talks about the disrespect, unfair and unjust treatment the black community had received from the white Americans. In the letter King’s response is very moving and effective to the readers, he has achieved this by effective use of language, stylistic devices such as the use of imagery, similes and metaphors, and by using

Dr. King was arrested in 1963 in the struggle for civil rights for African-Americans. “The Letter from Birmingham Jail”, written a few days after King’s arrest, defended Dr. King’s argument about the civil rights movement. He uses the pathos, ethos, and logos modes of persuasion and uses several rhetorical strategies such as metaphors, citing authority, parallelism, Rogerian strategy, and anaphora to defend his argument against racism and segregation.

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.

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.

Every writer needs an inspiration to craft a brilliant literary piece. Whether this inspiration is tangible or intangible, it is still necessary. Some forms of inspiration come as passionate love while others appeal as injustice. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was a response to "A Call for Unity" by eight white clergymen. His inspiration for writing the letter was the clergymen's unjust proposals and the letter allowed him to present his rebuttal. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen, and then using logos, pathos, and ethos to refute his opponent's statements and present his own perspective.

“A Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. was written in the margins of a letter posted by the clergymen of Alabama at this time that sparked his interest and while he inhabited the jail cell for parading around without a permit. This time allowed him the ability to respond wholeheartedly to this cynical oppressing. King’s letter addresses specific points presented in the Clergymen’s and this direct response distinguishes King’s strong points through his powerful writing.  Unethical and immoral mentions came to the attention of the Minister through the letter, and he expressed his differing views and defended his ideals and actions through Aristotle’s three rhetorical devices, ethos, logos, and pathos.

Obviously, again my primary motivation for writing my Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is that this is a requirement for my English Composition Class. My heartfelt motivation for writing my Rhetorical Analysis is the respect I have for Martin Luther King’s intelligence and commitment that he displayed for the equality of the African American population. In analyzing “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, I developed an even stronger understanding of the dedication Mr. King had for the disadvantaged poor black population and the injustice that victimized them on a daily basis.

King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is filled with meaning where each sentence is significantly structured to convey a message. The letter explains King’s appeals and motives to establish and urge a change in his society. It reveals King’s passion and understanding for change. While King meant his letter to be a simple response to injustice, today, it is viewed as a powerful document that helped further the civil rights movement. Also, the letter can relate to issues faced in today’s society. King used pathos, ethos, and logos to help the reader see his passion for

"Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider" (Martin Luther King Jr.). Just about everyone knows who Martin Luther King is, but some might not know his letter behind bars. In 1963 King was arrested for non-violent protests in the state of Alabama. He wrote a letter from jail responding to a newspaper article about how white men wanted blacks to stand against King, he does this through his different tones of his feelings and strong thoughts. During this time blacks were not treated as equal as whites, or as we know it racial segregation. King was the first known African American to take great pride in his race and stand up for others, even though he knew he was going to get punished for it. The fact King knew Bermingham was the most segregated place at the time, shows how much courage he really has. One taking so much pride and confidence in something so big in history should be declared a super hero. Everything King wrote in his letter behind bars is significant enough, and prideful enough to bring just about anyone on his side, unless you have such hate.

One of the strongest points of King's leadership was his oratory skills which were also reflected in his writings. He has a god mastery of words and knows how to weave them together to drive home a point he intends.

Martin Luther King Jr. is known for his incredible ability to preach and use communication skills while he presents to his audience. The appeals he uses keeps them involved throughout his works. In both “I have a dream” speech and his “Letter to Birmingham Jail,” King uses rhetoric to intensify his argument concerning the oppression of African Americans.

Though few noticed it, racial oppression was getting out of hand. Lynchings, police brutality, and unashamed segregation were all events becoming a normality in the African American’s life (King 2). Martin Luther King, Jr., a minister active in Christian movements, became a leader to this oppressed race. After leading peaceful protests all across the nation, Martin Luther King, Jr. was finally arrested and was placed in the Birmingham Jail. While confined, Dr. King decided to begin a “second affirmative constructive and rebuttal argument” in response to criticisms about his actions (Patton 60). These criticisms were written by eight clergymen. John Patton writes that “King’s 1963 response ‘Letter’ from jail stands as one of the foremost