He continues these connections all throughout his letter to further justify his actions, stating if these large political figures have done it in the past to voice their opinion and be heard than whats any different than him doing the same. He painted a picture of the violence they faced, the injustices, and brutality they had to endure. King mentions several disappointments over the course of his letter. Don't know where to start? In Letter from Birmingham Jail, King typically uses repetition in the form of anaphora repeating the same word(s) atthe beginning of consecutive clauses. His famous "Letter from Birmingham" offered a detailed response to the white moderate of his time, rebutting their claims that the direct actions of King's cause, were "untimely" and "unwise". King used many rhetorical devices in his writing, from repetition, allusion and imagery, all the way to ethos, logos, and pathos. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/letter-from-birmingham-jail-rhetorical-analysis/. This eventually gave King a sense of appreciation and satisfaction during his letter because he was regarded as an extremist, just as the influential men that came before him. King also squeezed in a couple uplifting pathos reminding us of the beautiful opportunitys that await them. In other words, King borrows from the ethos of these figures to gain credibility and legitimacy in front of his readers. Kings message would not be well received if he did not have his background. However, establishing this credibility allows King to reach his target audience. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. Who is the audience? MLK doesnt take time to justify these two groups of their rights and wrongs, but rather backs them up with facts that result in their actions. Ethos Convinces the audience that the speaker will be worth listening to and is a credible source. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. Kings culmination of ethos, pathos, and logos plays a large part in why his Letter from Birmingham was so effective and so well received by his society, and continues to be a piece that future societies are able to learn from. 270 students ordered this very topic and got The Letter of Birmingham Jail. Discovering Arguments: An, Introduction to Critical Thinking and Writing, with Readings, by Dean Memering and William Palmer, Prentice Hall, 2005, pp. While this fight had been raging for nearly 10 years, the release in 1963 was shortly followed by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. He is informed about the crisis going on in Birmingham as he has a chapter in their state and was invited there to help fight the discrimination. His letter gives the philosophical foundations of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and does a good job by giving specific examples that appeal to logos, pathos, and ethos. King makes use of ethos in his writing, which is an appeal to ethics; this establishes a certain level of credibility for him. Ethos is a useful technique in developing trustworthiness in a writer, but King uses logos as well. King references a dozen historical figures from Abraham Lincoln, to Paul of Tarsus, Socrates, to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and many more. The clergy also asserted that King and his constituents were extreme. your personal assistant! Kings target audience was the white moderate but at the same time, his letter was renowned nationwide. 467 students ordered this very topic and got aimed at creating associations for the readers and to add further emphasis to the writer's views. He does this by describing just and unjust laws from multiple different angles, in ways the reader could relate to. Chat with professional writers to choose the paper writer that suits you best. I'm Amy, The pathos appeal was prevalent in Kings letter from beginning to end. Repetitions help the writer give structure to his arguments and highlight important aspects. When there are women and children involved, being brutalized seems a lot more brutal. "Letter from Birmingham Jail": Examples of Rhetorical Devices 4.2 (5 reviews) logos Click the card to flip "We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights." Click the card to flip 1 / 32 Flashcards Learn Test Match Created by aedwards001 Teacher Terms in this set (32) logos Letter from Birmingham Jail, by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Logical Fallacies in Letter from Birmingham Jail, Policing and Community Relations in America, Rhetorical Analysis of The Letter of Birmingham Jail, A Rhetorical Analysis of the Letter from Birmingham Jail and Malala Yousafzais Speech, Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr, What does Kings Speech i have a Dream Mean. Showing that his plan for direct action is not unwise and supposed to be untimely as they have waited to long for change and now its time to force negotiation. An example of metaphor is when the writer associates destiny with a piece of clothing that can be put on and shared: We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of . After reading "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", ask your students to do a scavenger hunt using the storyboard creator. Martin Luther King first starts off his letter by using a strong ethos appeal, by establishing his credibility to the clergy men after they referenced him as an outsider coming in. He first addresses them by saying, My Dear Fellow Clergymen. By saying this MLK is considering him as one of them showing that he is no different and deserves the same respect as they would want to be given. Be careful, this sample is accessible to everyone. For any subject. Blog. As King states that just laws should be followed, and unjust laws should be openly disobeyed. King does this by opening his letter with his accomplishments such as being the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which had 85 affiliate organizations all over the south. These themes of injustice were the push for his plan of direct action as he states and supports each theme with clear and factual evidence. Nevertheless, he was also a reverend, who was very patient, and well versed in the philosophy and execution of civil disobedience. He says directly that he is not an outsider looking in. As he closes the letter by saying Let us hope in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty (King 284). As he refers to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. This excerpt is strong appealing to the emotions of parents as no mom or dad would ever want their kids to feel that pain and carry it with them. He Compares his fight for freedom with the Apostle Paul and the prophets fight for the gospel of Jesus Christ. original papers. He was leading a peaceful protest that lead to his arrest for not having a permit. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. For example, Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Isn't negotiation a better path? ; Some have asked: Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act? ; One may well ask: How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others? . Showing the readers that the cops were actually the violent ones in the nonviolent protest that was going on, theyre the ones causing the harm instead of preventing it. Therefore, tugging at the heartstrings was an extremely powerful way to send a message. King was in Birmingham Jail when he composed this response. Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Showing that even if he remained unbiased that the black community would have acted regardless, and that the nonviolent action could very well have turned violent without the help of his organization. King cited several examples of how blacks have had to endure pain for much too long. Hi! 2023 PapersOwl.com - All rights reserved. He wrote this letter from his jail cell after him and several of his associates were arrested as they nonviolently protested segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Make sure your essay is plagiarism-free or hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs. (2021, Jun 07). For any subject. This appeals to ethos as it validates kings quality educational background. You can order an original essay written according to your instructions. Not only does he describe the brutality given by the cops he also describes the injustices done by the people and the community. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. Rhetorical Devices used in the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" As Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister who was inspired to use non-violent means in the civil rights movement by religious philosophy, it comes as no surprise that his letter is full of religious references. His hope was that people would feel not just one emotion, but a plethora of emotions: sadness, anger, remorse, love, regret, empathy, etc. How? In closing, he expresses his hope for a desegregated future of brotherhood and love. Our writers can help you with any type of essay. He used numerous examples of sad and heart aching pathos, he did it to get his point across, making the white moderates feel what it was like to live in the life of a colored person. Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/rhetorical-analysis-of-the-letter-of-birmingham-jail/. This piece incorporated a multitude of different techniques, which King synthesized into an extremely advanced message for the white moderate. The letter of Birmingham Jail was written by Martin Luther King on April 16, 1963. He talked about how black people have waited over 340 years to gain the same rights as white Americans. If you want a unique paper, order it from our professional writers. King organized the letter by stating each critique from the white moderate and then explaining why direct action was justified. Logos is all about making sense. I'm Amy, original papers. Letter from Birmingham Jail Literary Devices Analysis - Storyboard That Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. As King is just following the path of his ministerial ancestors. This puts it in perspective making it hard for the reader to refute. Letter from Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis by Marcus Thornton - Prezi In another example, the writer associates himself with prophe. The text includes numerous instances when the writer uses descriptive and metaphorical language to make his arguments more dynamic and appealing. The most remarkable takeaway from this letter is Kings overall tone he keeps throughout as he could have approached his audience multiple different ways. He explained how black Americans have waited over 300 years to acquire basic constitutional rights. King uses this appeal so that the audience understands that he knows what he is talking about.
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