Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

used the rhetorical element of ethos to establish his credibility on the subject of racial discrimination and injustice. He begins the letter with "My dear fellow clergymen"(pg. 1). With these words, he is putting himself on the same level as the clerics, showing thus and making it clear that he is no less than them and that they are no better than him. Also, King says, "I have the honor of serving as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.

Letter From Birmingham Jail – A Rhetorical Analysis In April of 1963, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting the mistreatment of blacks in the American South. During his time in jail, King produced a letter intended for his fellow clergymen, a response to the criticism he received for his work and ideas. One of King’s main arguments in this rhetorical work is that people have a moral responsibility to peacefully reject unjust laws. King’s position is that laws that are out of harmony with the moral law or the law of God are unjust and should be rejected.

King needs to give the clergymen and all his readers a reason to listen to him and show them that he is believable. To do this King tells his audience that he is the “president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. [They] have eighty-five affiliate organizations all across the South, one being the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights” (King). This statement shows the audience that he has first-hand experience through the organizations he is involved with and tells the audience through this experience he sees and hear of the unjust treatment to the black citizens in the South first hand which gives the audience a reason to listen to what King has to say. Second, King effectively uses pathos from Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle and the appeal to emotions fallacy within his letter in order to further help convince his audience that his actions of peaceful demonstrations are justified in his fight for civil rights.

The letter from Birmingham jail by Dr. Marin Luther King was written as a response of King to ten criticisms made against the Southern Christian leaders and King’s participation in demonstration in Birmingham. King handled many rhetorical devices to convince his opponents such as white clergymen with his rights to protest and create tension for direct action to achieve the racial justice. The devices fluctuate between logos and ethos in clever way to appeal to his audience and criticize them at the same time. King provided logical supports such as biblical figures historical and philosophical references. In my essay, I will point out some of the rhetorical devices and the colorful words used by King.

Having served as a minister, King deeply understood Christianity, which he used to address the white clergy in his open letter. King aimed to highlight the immorality of discrimination, especially to those in powerful or religious positions who could bring about change. Further, these individuals should be aware of the unjust and unchristian nature of allowing such bigotries. It did not matter to King whether others ignored or condoned the situation. Social change was necessary to eradicate racial injustices, and King’s mission was to convey that change.

Martin Luther King Jr references Paul when he states “So I am Compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to Macedonian call for aid”(444). In addition to establishing that he is a religious man he also show that he is a literate, knowledgeable and wise man when he quotes Socrates, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson who were all seen as radical leaders of their time periods but are now heroic leaders of change. One of the main focuses of his argument is Justice and direct action which is an idea that King supports throughout his argument by showing that he has immense knowledge of court cases and historical situations which agains adds to his

King wishes the church would stop standing on the sidelines and step into the fight against racism. Being a minister himself, and as King himself states in his letter that he “loves the church” and was “nurtured in its bosom”, his call to the

King starts off by stating, “ My Dear Fellow Clergymen.” By King stating that it proves to me that he is qualifying himself to be at the same level as the clergymen, and that he is not saying he is better or worse than them as despite himself being in jail. King also states that, “So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.”

He connected extrinsically with his audience because of his notoriety and educational experience. King graduated from Boston University with a doctorate in Theology. King’s public notoriety helped him “Change attitudes in the south”, that “benefited all Americans”(212). Thus, as a result of King persuading people he is an activist.

King, who served as a minister, had a deep understanding of Christianity, which he used in his letter to the white clergy. King sought to highlight the immorality of discrimination, especially against those in powerful or religious positions who could assist him in bringing about change. In their capacities as churchmen, these individuals should be aware of the unchristian nature of allowing such bigotry. Social change was necessary regardless of if one ignored inequities or actively condoned segregation. In the absence of other options, King became more visible and vocal in his protests in a non-violent manner (King, 1963, p.5, para. 3).

The Letter From a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. is written in response to a letter written by clergymen that were dealing with racial problems in Alabama. The clergymen stated that King's approach to segregation incites extreme measures of hatred and violence. King’s letter explained to the clergymen that the steps to desegregate the South were the most effective, and beneficial ways to come about the situation. In the Letter From a Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. uses rhetorical devices to effectively appeal to his audience. Martin Luther King Jr uses allusions, imagery, and metaphors to effectively appeal to the clergymen’s ethos, pathos, and logos.

“I must admit that I was initially disappointed in being so categorized” (Paragraph 23). King showed multiple times how disheartened he felt, which is something most people who have authority would say. He goes on and states several times how disappointed he was. “I have been disappointed with the church” (Paragraph 27). This indicates that the clergymen and white people with power, as well as the church, have failed him.

Dr. King makes his audience feel as if they should be doing more as they are intended to do. He uses the word “president” which shows his position which helps him be looked up to. Clergymen fall their pastors and in a certain way Dr.King is acting as a pastor and preaching to them that they should go out and help as he (Dr. King) is. Diction is very important as it makes the audience connect in the way the author intends them to do

Martin Luther King was an African American civil rights activist who embraced the belief that all people, regardless their race, are equal. He spent the majority of his life working to improve the life of many black Americans. He also showed up wherever there was discrimination, protest, and injustice. The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and the "I Have a Dream" speech are two of Dr. King's most well-known writings. Both writings have a lot of figurative language and make logical and emotional appeals.

He demonstrates this by applying Abraham Lincoln ’s quote, “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free” (31) and that of Thomas Jefferson’s “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal….” (31). King specifically used these to his advantages in order to not only remind the clergymen how and who helped this country came to be, but the explicit connotation of those words. The effect will be significant enough for the audience to relate and reflect how a nation can be capable of great damage from this foreseen