Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis - 1136 Words

Within Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail, he addresses eight white clergymen who fill his desk with disagreements and criticism of his acts of attempting to abolish segregation. To give a better understanding to his audience he correlates his speech with religion, signifying himself to be similar to the Apostle Paul, while speaking up about the injustice being done in Birmingham. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks strongly about being unable to stand back and watch the disputes in Birmingham unravel. â€Å"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,† famously said by Martin†¦show more content†¦King Jr. calls to those in society to put away the â€Å"racial prejudice† and encourages those to think clearly instead of being in a dazed and confused state of misunderstandings and fear. Q uickly a nation can be corrupted by national policies, especially if they are unjust. â€Å"Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity† (King). Referring to the nation as an unstable foundation, King Jr. calls to one another to create a uniformed and solid ground for everyone to stand on as a nation. Martin Luther King Jr. uses clear metaphors and alliterations to clearly and visually make his points on segregation. Whether it be in a sarcastic verbiage or not, Martin Luther King Jr. addresses his audience by saying, â€Å"but since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms† (King). By using a first-person point of view, King Jr. is able to establish himself as a credible speaker. â€Å"I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organizationShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1052 Words   |  5 Pagesracial discrimination is? A Rhetorical Analysis of Letter From Birmingham Jail It is known to all that Martin Luther King is a famous person in America, who strongly goes against the racial discrimination all the time. Here, in this letter, Letter from Birmingham Jail, it is easy for us to realize that racial discrimination appears and the non-violence action is still serious at that time. As a matter of fact, this letter is coming from the people in the Birmingham jail, stating their inner thoughtsRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Letter from Birmingham Jail1517 Words   |  7 PagesDevin Ponder Eng291-001 13 September 2013 Rhetorical Analysis Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† by Martin Luther King, Jr., is a letter in which King is writing to his â€Å"fellow clergymen† in a response to their recent criticism of the actions he was leading in Birmingham at the time. The letter was written in April of 1963, a time when segregation was essentially at a peak in the south. Birmingham, in particular, is described by King as â€Å"probablyRead Moreâ€Å"Letters from a Birmingham Jail† Analysis of the Rhetorical Appeals1182 Words   |  5 Pagesthis when he wrote an open letter while in his jail cell after a peaceful debate against segregation. His lettered response was guided at a statement by eight white Alabama clergymen saying that segregation should be fought in court and not on the streets. King uses a combination of three rhetorical appeals to accomplish his rhetor; ethical, logical and emotional. The three appeals used together successfully persuade the audience to believe King’s argument . The rhetorical trinity consists of threeRead MoreSummary and Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†1708 Words   |  7 PagesSummary and Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested on April 12, 1963, in Birmingham, for protesting without a permit. The same day that King was arrested, a letter was written and signed by eight clergymen from Birmingham and titled â€Å"A Call for Unity†. The letter called for ending demonstrations and civil activities and indicated King as an â€Å"outsider†. On April 16, 1963, King responded to their letter with his own call, which has come toRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1665 Words   |  7 PagesMartin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† is a great example of an effective and cleverly written response by a complex but yet sophisticated leader of our time. It was written in response to an editorial addressing the issue of Negro demonstrations and segregation in Alabama at the time. He delivers the message in a way with sneaky superiority. He is inviting and open allowing the clergymen to feel as though they have c ontributed and will contribute. He is not condescending or belittlingRead MoreLetter from Birmingham Jail; Rhetorical Analysis Essay1620 Words   |  7 Pagesof work. Whether that drive comes from a creative source or the need to prove a point, it exists. For Martin Luther King Jr. that drive was the need to put an end to racial injustice that seemed to be everywhere. Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† is a perfect example. â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† was King’s response to eight clergymen’s â€Å"A Call for Unity.† His drive came from the clergymen’s unjust propositions and accusations. This letter allowed King to not only propose aRead MoreEssay on Rhetorical Analysis of the Letter from Birmingham Jail983 Words   |  4 Pages Letter from Birmingham Jail is a letter that explains the controversy that occurred when the clergymen purportedly criticized Luther’s entrance into Birmingham. Luther King Jr writes this letter to the clergymen who had insinuated that the situation of racial discrimination was in control by the law administrators and was not to be intervened by King and his group, the outsiders. The letter is published by the program of Teaching American History - Ashland University and dated on the day and dateRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther Kings Letter From A Birmingham Jail1488 Words   |  6 Pages Obviously, again my primary motivation for writing my Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s â€Å"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 â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail†, I developed an even stronger understanding of the dedicationRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail W/ Focus on Ethos1587 Words   |  7 PagesMLK Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis- w/ focus on Ethos â€Å"...we are now confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens, directed and led in part by outsiders†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In this quote, from the third paragraph of the letter written by eight Alabama clergymen, the term outsiders is used. Early on, this creates a label for Martin Luther King, outsider. Throughout his Letter From Birmingham Jail, King is able appeal to ethos in order to refute his title of â€Å"outsider†Read MoreRhetorical Analysis Mlk Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay1308 Words   |  6 PagesMartin Luther King’s inspiration for writing his, â€Å"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 eff ectively formed his counterargument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen