Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist in the late 1950s and 1960s. He was leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and fought against segregation through nonviolent means. At that time in the South, African Americans were forced to sit in the back of buses, were prohibited from drinking out of water fountains that were used by whites, were forced to attend segregated schools, and were not allowed to sleep in motels. After a protest in Birmingham, Alabama, King was arrested. He addresses and responds to “A Call for Unity” that the eight local clergymen questioned King’s methods due to the injustices and inequalities that the white moderates were doing to the African Americans that King saw in America, especially …show more content…
For example, in 1896 the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that, “separate but equal,” protection would be given to all African Americans, but in the twentieth century the decision was made to separate public facilities between African Americans and the white moderates. King’s actions in Birmingham, Alabama, was a push for equal rights among all Americans through nonviolent means. He protested these laws that he felt was needed and without them he believed segregation would still remain the same in the South; however, unjust laws are no laws at all, but simply are laws that are not natural. Along with ending segregation, King wanted unjust laws to be abolished even if it meant going to jail for eight days. King also uses his readers’ knowledge by drawing comparisons to history by using the stylistic techniques to reference the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and to various theologians because he felt that he was doing God’s work, not only were these theologians considered extremists, but King also considered himself to be an extremist. He also uses other stylistic techniques to enrich and emphasis his ideas and points that is used in King’s …show more content…
Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activists leader and extremist of the African American Civil Rights Movement who knew that there were injustices and inequalities that he has seen in America that the white moderates were doing. He wants unjust laws to be abolished and for segregation to end, however King accomplishes this towards the end of 1965 when Congress passed the Civil Rights Act. In order for his readers to know what King is hoping for, he uses three appeals in his argument, logos, pathos, and ethos to grasp the readers with reasoning to the issue, to put forth emotion to the issue, and to apply authority to the issue; King attempts to demonstrate logic and position, and attempts to create sympathy to the cause. He knew that by going to jail only meant that he was putting a stop to something that he and his fellow followers were wanting to end. The eight local clergymen only saw King as a troublemaker and an outsider, but he goes on to tell them that he was invited by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, however, his argument is intended for the clergymen who he speaks directly and hostile to, but also for a much broader audience that he speaks to as a whole. King uses stylistic techniques such as alluding to references in hopes of providing historical context to enlarge the issue that is being written about because he felt that he was doing God’s work. He then goes on towards the end of his argument apologizing to his readers
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
On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King, a Civil Rights Activist and Church Minister, in his letter entitled Letter from Birmingham City Jail, demands equal rights for all people. He supports this claim by first asserting our American Heritage of freedom and our God-given right. Then, claiming the need for protest, which is better than protecting an unjust system, and finally declaring that it is everyday people who lead the protests and bring our nation to freedom for all. Through King’s use of tone, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical tools he effectively persuades the church and America to end racial segregation and be united as brothers. Martin Luther King informative and optimistic tone calls to action the church and people of America
King then shifts from social injustice to political injustice, calling the laws into question. He states how the clergymen were anxious over King and his followers “willingness to break laws,” when the majority of people fail to obey the 1954 ruling of the Supreme Court that outlawed segregation in public schools.” King Jr. then claims there are two types of laws: just and unjust. He defines both laws and describes how each individual has the responsibility to uphold just laws and dismiss unjust laws. He then specifically speaks about segregation and how it is an unjust act.
When King states, “sin is separation and “was not Jesus an extremist in love?”(King 14 & 15). King makes several Biblical allusions throughout his letter in order to appeal to his readers which are eight white religious leaders. His reference connects to the readers because he makes them understand that god and never wanted to separate others. By doing this the readers are closer to understanding his points and where King’s ideas are coming from. This rhetorical strategy that king and the image use convinces the readers by using something they believe in and connect to it.
How Does King distinguish between a just and an unjust law? In Birmingham city colored people suffered with unlawful treatments so King and his eighty- five affiliated organizations strongly oppose the humiliation of colored people in their country. The court treats colored people unlawfully and put them in jail for no
Although he does not explicitly state it, a large part of King’s
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.
Unlike many great civil right leaders that tried to end segregation, Martin Luther King did not just talk about the problem that they were facing in his speeches or letters. He included well thought throughout plans that will help solve the problems peacefully and he actually did get some things done from leading the African American civil right movement. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King uses valid historical context and figures to make his point. He also uses pathos, logos and ethos to affectively support his argument that what he was doing was just.
King attempts to set his points across to the clergymen in hopes they would understand his viewpoint. He does this by explaining how negotiation
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. was one of the most influential leaders of his time and played a crucial role in the African-American Civil Rights movement. Luther was a charismatic leader who took a firm stand against the oppressive and racist regime of the United States (US), devoting much of his life towards uniting the segregated African-American community of the US. His efforts to consolidate and harmonise the US into one country for all is reflected in many of his writings and speeches spanning his career. As a leader of his people, King took the stand to take radical measures to overcome the false promises of the sovereign government that had been addressing the issues of racial segregation through unimplemented transparent laws that did nothing to change the grim realities of the society. Hence, King’s works always had the recurring theme of the unity and strength of combined willpower.
“Letter from Jail” On April 16, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter to the eight clergymen while he was incarcerated. Dr. King wrote this letter to address one of the biggest issues in Birmingham, Alabama and other areas within the United States. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” discussed the great injustices that were happening during that time towards the black community. Dr. King wanted everyone to have the same equal rights as the white community, he also went into further details about the struggles that African Americans were going through for so many years, which he felt like it could change. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, expressed his beliefs and his actions about the Human Rights Movement.
King wants to provide information to the normal human thoughts. To explain how all of this can come in through mind for some people. For example, murder that criminals do might have been influenced by someone or
Dr. King also included definitions and examples of unjust and just laws, and how they are not right. He included an example of these “laws” by talking about the things Adolf Hitler did was allowed but supposedly helping someone was not allowed. He writes and uses the letter to show the white Americans that are unaware of what is happening around them. Even, though Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is best remembered for his powerful voice and pathos in this letter is a thoughtful logical argument. Rhetorical Situations: Writer:
King uses biblical allusions to appeal to the eight white clergymen and their religious affiliation when he states his duty to carry the “gospel of freedom beyond his home town... Like Paul.” His final point of this section is the clergymen’s failure to recognize the underlying causes of the demonstrations they so harshly condemn, a failure causing further ignorance and confusion on racial