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Rhetorical Devices In Letter From Birmingham Jail

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Martin Luther King Jr., wrote the “Letter From Birmingham Jail” to enlighten the South that we are all created equal and should be treated as such. Though, King was making a broader statement not only for the south, the letter was directed at the clergymen. King uses three techniques to strengthen his argument against segregation, logic, biblical references, and extended vocabulary. One technique King supports his argument is by using logic. In King’s letter he states, “I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in this country.” (649). This quote shows that King and every person, black, white, asian, hispanic, etc… has every …show more content…

King states, “Just as the eighth century prophets left their little villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home town, and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular home town. Like Paul I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.” (645). This quote demonstrates Kings knowledge of the bible and his experience in religion. “Apostle Paul” was once “Saul” who helped kill Jesus Christ and one day was visited by God himself and realized Jesus Christ was his Lord and savior. He then went spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, King uses this because something someone once hated can turn into something that you

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