Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr

Throughout the text, King utilized the values of his audience to gain sympathy and later on support. His use of diction and syntax would align his mission to God’s, and show that he was in the right and the clergymen were in the wrong. In his letter, King effectively used an extended periodic sentence that consisted of more than 300 words. The sentence has an extreme appeal to pathos, with such vivid imagery

In this letter by Martin Luther King Jr., he wants to explain to the eight clergymen why he has been jailed. He wants to show them that what he was doing was necessary. The clergymen were confused and upset about his image and wrote a statement explaining their own views. After reading this statement, King wanted to have these men completely educated on the matter. King does this by persuading his audience, using various rhetorical devices.

In the essay named “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Junior, He uses many great approaches to many different problems faced in his time. The fact that he wants to use a nonviolent approach to solve these problems is not only an admirable thing to do but also the right thing to do. Instead of using violent means to make his points, he instead uses things such as sit-ins, marches, boycotts, and many other ways to peacefully make his point. This in turn breaks the cycle of hatred between the races at that time. If he had used other means, then the problem would have only escalated and gotten worse.

I think this is a smart move. Instead of distancing himself from them or arguing with them, King choose to show that he is on the same side. It’s like saying “we have the same goal and are on the same side. It’s just we took different method.” Though the letter, King used all kinds of rhetoric methods to give more well-rounded argument.

King’s tone in the opening paragraph was very sarcastic towards the situation. He is sarcastic because he talks of secretaries but at the moment he does not have any but he chooses to reply and help with the situation. The ironic part is the fact that he is in jail and has nothing better to do. King starts this paragraph with sarcasm and irony to show the clergymen his status or authority. He basically gave them false appraisal because he he 's the one who decided to even help.

King was hoping the clergymen, who were often put in a difficult predicament during these times due to their political involvement, would conform, not only under political aspects but also biblical aspects. King makes it known that civil disobedience is not a new problem. Christians stood their ground centuries ago, just as King and his people are; therefore why are the clergymen criticizing him? King writes: “Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion?” What King is trying to get across is that just as Jesus wasn’t condemned for God’s crucifixion through his devotion, King and his people shouldn’t be condemned for peacefully responding to segregation: “Protect the robbed & punish the robber.”

He reveals his hope that the church will make changes to its current attitude, while at the same time expressing his disappointment. Furthermore, King prefaces this section with a statement that he is a man “who loves the church,” (34) and “was nurtured in its bosom” (34) in order to establish his credibility and appeal to ethos. He suggests that he knows the church

Response to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. In Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, he responded to statements written in a Birmingham newspaper that criticized his actions in the city. He undermined these disapprovals by explaining his belief in nonviolent direct action. King also went on to give opinions on other topics, such as, the lack of support from white moderates and white churches. He used technique and structure to develop his ideas and justify his methods.

One rhetorical tool King uses in his letter is pronouns to address the audience. This rhetorical tool addresses a particular audience but it is not necessarily to persuade them at this point. King drops these rhetorical tools throughout the one of them "I am afraid that it is much too long to take, your precious time" (paragraph 5). King talks to the clergyman through this rhetorical tool and addresses them in different ways. King rates with a purpose his purpose is to persuade people and change their opinion on civil rights.

The use of the historical and biblical allusions/ references being used is to help build a standard ground for his audiences and the clergymen; it also helps make his letter more effective. King 's letter uses biblical allusions to create analogies between

Martin Luther King, Jr. attempts to persuade clergymen to follow in his civil rights movement through exhibiting his knowledge over just and unjust laws, displaying peaceful behavior, and empathetic diction. King was very knowledgeable about laws and his right as a human. King stated laws in his letter to the clergymen, which displayed his credibility. He did not only state laws, he also stated just and unjust laws. King stated, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?”

In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was sent to jail because of a peaceful protest, protesting treatments of blacks in Birmingham. Before the protest a court ordered that protests couldn’t be held in Birmingham. While being held in Birmingham, King wrote what came to be known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Not even King himself could predict how much of an impact this letter would have on the Civil Rights Movement. In the letter kind defended Kings beliefs on Nonviolent Protests, King also counters the accusations of him breaking laws by categorizing segregation laws into just and unjust laws. King uses this principle to help persuade others to join him in his acts of civil disobedience.

Firstly, King opens up his letter to a great amount of ethos. Credibility in a speaker is a huge step of rhetoric to have, since an audience needs to notice that the speaker knows what they are talking about. If a speaker can not prove to

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.

King was a man of peace and he knew that two acts of violence would not result in the outcome of friendship. King starts his letter off with “My Dear Fellow Clergymen”. King starts his