He rejects this argument, pointing out that this kind of logic (if such it can be called) can be extended to all sorts of scenarios. Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. To illustrate the white moderate perspective. 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help you just now, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the Letter from a Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963. King emphasizes that the protests are a necessary action based on African Americans current social and political conditions. Let's fix your grades together! AP Q1 Vocabulary. We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. This is exactly what King wanted in order to make the audience feel the strong emotion and pain he felt, and persuade you to keep reading the letter to hear what he has to say about these outrage of acts, show you positive ways to change them, and justify his cause of writing this letter in response to the clergymen. April 16, 1963. But they have called for extreme love, justice, and tolerance, rather than extreme hate, division, or violence. King points out that the newly elected mayor of the city, like the previous incumbent, is in favour of racial segregation and thus wishes to preserve the political status quo so far as race is concerned. The civil rights movement spearheaded the advances and needs of African Americans and the black community. By clicking Get this sample, you agree to our. (a) Using a chart like the one shown, analyze Walter's motivation in the scene from A Raisin in the Sun. The papers are not supposed to be submitted for academic credit. People in the church have made a variety of excuses for not supporting racial integration. King Jrs letter uses various rhetorical devices in his writing. He also includes examples from American history, thus placing his critics in the place of historical villains, such as the British. UC Davis L. 10 terms. Throughout the letter, King has maintained a cordial and generous tone, careful to show respect for his critics even when they do not merit it. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail answers the white clergymens criticisms about his nonviolent protests, accusing him of inciting violence in Alabama. He gives detailed accounts about grown men to stories of his daughter and son in the letter and how discrimination affects them and it makes the reader feel empathy for the African American community. They label King as an extremist. if you were to watch them push old Negro women and young Negro girls. Term. languages, ditchs, quizzes, torpedoes. Letter from Birmingham jail. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/rhetorical-analysis-of-the-letter-from-birmingham-jail/. Professional Writers that Guarantee an On-time Delivery. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Dr. King felt that segregation was wrong, and he refused to sit back and do nothing. Bloomsbury Press, 2013. King starts this by adding to his letter by challenging the claim that their actions must be condemned because they precipitate violence (5).King displays that the statement blames the demonstrators, which he condemns illogical due to lack of valid support. Anaphora is a rhetorical device that repeats the same word or phrase at the beginning of sentences, and it is often used to imply importance or emphasis. He then productively demonstrates juxtaposition and compares this claim to condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery, or condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock, or even condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to Gods will precipitated the evil act of crucification (6). This rhetorical question forces the white moderates to support Kings cause. King begins by addressing his fellow clergymen who wrote the statement published in the newspaper. Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? (King Jr., 1963, para. Not only was King capable of making his letter memorable but he also made it extremely effective for the pathos appeal throughout the text by making the reader, Right from the beginning, King started with using ethos to let the clergymen know he is a religious leader as well. Dr. King might of showed a lot of emotion and compassion while he was pushed to inspire his fellow activists and black followers. . to confront the audiences perception and present his evaluation. Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs Besides, King Jr uses meaningful language and literal analogies or stories that fit within his argument to evoke emotions, thereby persuading the audience to agree with his argument or stand. He explained why the protesters were civilly infringing racist laws and city ordinances; why the protesters had truth and justice; and how he was thwarted with the clergyman and white moderates in the South who said they supported his cause. During this time also was a incident where Rosa Parks, who was an American civilist, decided to get on a bus . Interesting Literature is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk. Use of Anaphora Conclusion The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was important in the history of the civil rights movement. One of Kings central points in this letter is that moderation is not a politically prudent tactic, especially when African Americans find themselves in the kind of physical, emotional, and psychological danger that he described earlier. Recent flashcard sets. Signing off, King re-positions himself for his critics one final time: he is like them, a religious leader looking to spread the gospel of peace and community. That is the ultimate goal to bring about a better world for those under persecution and create an equal, just future for America as a whole. He leaves the clergymen with a solid idea of what his mission for Civil Right is. For instance, King Jr (1963) repeated the phrase was not to lessen the word extremist by pointing to historical figures. This essay has been submitted by a student. He also uses this rhetorical question, So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kinds of extremists we will be. Whatever it was, Dr. King knew how to rhetoric the you-know-what out of speeches. The letter uses a deliberate choice of words intended to evoke emotions in the audience. Other religious figures, as well as American political figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, might be called extremists for their unorthodox views (for their time). Dr. King was on this march knowing what was at stake. This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before, Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts. By using religious examples which appeal directly to his audience, the preachers, he attempts to gain their support and legitimize his course of action. King answers each of the clergymens objections in turn, laying out his argument in calm, rational, but rhetorically brilliant prose. In the letter King gives his opinion on the praise that some were giving the Birmingham police force by directly addressing them with what he saw in the situation. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his . King establishes the difference between ordinary crime and civil disobedience. King moves on to tie the current struggle for racial freedom to the historical struggle for American independence from Britain. Carson_Walker797. Despite this singularity of purpose, the complexity of the situation meant that a more nuanced response to the statement A Call for Unity as published by eight Alabama Clergymen was necessary. King's persuasive yet patient rhetoric addresses each of their concerns in turn while exposing the deep-seated hurt and betrayal felt by many members of the black community. Rev., 26, 835. By describing the signs as humiliating, King calls attention to the psychological effects of segregation for African Americans. Before the protest a court ordered that protests couldnt be held in Birmingham. Anaphora In Letter From Birmingham Jail. Dr. King includes many biblical references in his writing to compare the similarities between actions in the bible and his. (c) What comparisons can you identify? King uses this principle to help persuade others to join him in his acts of civil disobedience. He knows that comparing the protesters to the early Christians places his critics in the role of the enemies of freedom. People accused King of supporting some laws while breaking others. (b) Complete a similar chart about Cassius' motivation in The Tragedy of julius Caesar, Act b, Scene ii, in given line. He persuades his audience by using [], Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Jesus, all these radical men and more are alluded to in Martin Luther King Jrs Letter from Birmingham Jail. His use of their names in the context of this paper creates a form of kinship [], Keywords: Civil disobedience,Henry David Thoreau,Martin Luther King, Jr.,Nonviolence,Letter from Birmingham Jail,Civil Disobedience,Minority rights,Direct action,Social movement From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. The merchants disingenuous dealings with African American leaders only exacerbates that humiliation. Repetitions help the writer give structure to his arguments and highlight important aspects. He reminds his readers of the time when the Christian church was powerful and functioned as an agent of change; he no longer sees that in the contemporary church, which he calls an archdefender of the status quo. If this continues, warns. Few people had the bravery to go against what the masses believed, and fewer had the authority to do so. This final point in the letter returns to the present moment, where the police can abuse African Americans and still receive a commendation from leaders of the religious community. Anaphora is a rhetorical device used to emphasize meaning while adding rhythm to a passage. Regardless of the obvious lack of rights that the African American people had, the white christian moderate, along with the clergymen decided against taking action towards ending, While he was imprisoned, eight prominent Alabama clergymen published a statement in local newspapers urging blacks to withdraw their support from Martin Luther King Jr. and his demonstrations. It can be seen as a rhetorical question because it was not intended to be answered, and it created a dramatic effect in the paragraph to make his point more transparent. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. The yearning for freedom is the result of centuries of pent-up frustration, and if African Americans do not have the opportunity to take action and participate in nonviolent protest. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King incorporates biblical and historical allusions to give him credibility with his target audience, the clergymen. The author shows that he is bold and in control of his actions even though he is not happy with the way his people are being treated. Calling the Church an irrelevant social club can anger the clergymen and other readers, forcing the clergymen to realize that if they are irritated by a rude reference now, then they must take action to prevent such disrespect. King Jr used pathos by pointing to personal perspectives of the situations that have occurred that would make the audience have some emotions over the same. He says, Was not Jesus an extremist for love was not Amos an extremist for justice.. was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel was not Martin Luther an extremist and John Bunyan and Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. Kings appeal to logos in this quote is very effective because it has an impact on his target audience white preachers. He adopts a reprimanding tone in order to compel listeners to join the march and Congress to add Title III to the bill. literature. The overall tone of the last section is very emotional and he urges the readers of the letter to adopt the same sense of concern. In his praise, King shows his confidence in the righteousness of his cause and his belief that while he may not see the end of segregation, he knows history will be on his side.

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