The Letter From Birmingham Jail - Literature review Example

Rhetorical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail Although this letter was written in the 60s, its message still rings true today. Martin Luther King Jr. who was a civil rights activist for African Americans, as well as Church minister wrote the article. The letter reflects Dr. King’s great intellect and acts as a good example of how one should write an essay in the form of a letter. He was already a major and respected leader of the civil right’s movement, which makes his views on the topic qualified, particularly because he was a church leader and the protests were led by various black churches. If one ignores this letter being authored in the 60s during the civil rights protests, this letter shows Dr. King as being a well educated, respected, and admired man. The article was written while Dr. King was in Birmingham jail and was initially rejected by the New York Times magazine. However, excerpts were later published in May 1963 sans consent from Dr. King in the New York Post magazine. The entire letter was first published in June 1963 by Liberation, as well as in The Christian Century, The New Leader, as well as further reprints in the Atlantic Monthly, although it was titled The Negro is Your Brother. Finally, it was also included in 1964 by Dr. King in his book Why We Can’t Wait. Dr. King ended up in Birmingham jail after they were arrested for protests against racism and segregation, and it was at this moment that white clergymen from the South wrote a letter to blacks, asking them to quit protesting. Therefore, Dr. King decided to author Letter from Birmingham Jail where he seeks to justify why direct and non-violent action is necessary, writing the letter as an answer to the white clergymen. In writing the letter to fellow clergymen, Dr. King also contends that unjust laws are immoral while also voicing his opinion on his disappointment with the stance the church had taken, which was not according to the responsibilities God placed on his people. Dr. King tries to justify to the clergymen why the protests are happening. This is an opportune moment for both the letter and the protests, particularly because Dr. King has been put in jail for protesting against discrimination against black people. According to Dr. King, these actions by the African Americans were long overdue, and it was the best time for them to negotiate with white politicians (King 5). This article is titled Letter from Birmingham Jail; while its thesis statement is that, the black people must be allowed to demonstrate at that time because it was necessary to do so. While this thesis statement is not clearly stated, the letter addresses this issue throughout, which means that it is the main reason for writing the letter. Therefore, one has to read the entire letter in order to infer the statement. This ensures that the audience reads the entire letter with an open mind. The structure of the letter aids Dr. King in projecting his message. Paragraphs 2 to 5 are the most fundamental with regards to structure. The four paragraphs then transition to the remaining part of the letter. Paragraph 2 introduces the reader to the reasons for his imprisonment, which makes the letter broader. The letter’s purpose becomes clearer as one reads through it, and the most important paragraph is the fifth one, where he defends the protests in Birmingham and tells off the clergymen, “But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations” (King 4). The rest of the letter addresses the ideas brought up in the fifth paragraph. The structure affects the reader because it builds up momentum for what Dr. King wants to say and makes it more powerful. In the letter, Dr. King has a persuasive tone as he attempts to get the reader to agree with his viewpoint. He is understanding and patient with the eight clergymen and seeks to find a common ground by bringing up points, which were raised in their opinion and arguing them out politely. The tone used by Dr. King closes the distance that exists between him and the eight clergymen, which makes his letter more persuasive. Because the piece is a letter, Dr. King realized that, he needs to address the Birmingham clergymen directly, which he does in a conciliatory but firm tone. In the letter, Dr. King uses logos as a way to back his counterargument against the clergymen up. He claims, “[they] had no alternative except to prepare for direct action”, (King 9). He also seeks to prove his point through logical fallacies with appeals to authority; for instance, when he writes “Thomas Jefferson: “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal” (King 9). The audience will respect a famous person being quoted, and thus, makes what he is saying sound true. Dr. King also uses ethos to show that he is moral, knowledgeable, and reasonable. The above example is when he says, “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional God-given rights” (King 10). This is reasonable since he is being asked to wait, but he and other black people have already done so for 340 years. Dr. King also shows that he is moral by saying “...so we must see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in a society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood” (King 10). This shows his morality since he aims for all people to live together in peace. Finally, he also uses pathos in the letter. For example, where he states, “when you suddenly find your tongue-twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children” (King 17). The reason this is a perfect example of pathos is that anyone would feel sad because of this since the majority of people have a soft spot for children. Since Dr. King has the audience he intends to address in mind, he is able to persuade them through a combination of ethos, logos, and pathos. The letter has a powerful conclusion where he contends that the human personality and soul is damaged through segregation, which he has addressed throughout the letter. His conclusion is that segregation makes the segregator feel falsely superior, and the segregated have a sense of inferiority that is false. This is a strong ending to the letter. Work Cited King, Martin, L. Letter from the Birmingham jail. San Francisco : Harper, 1994. Print. . Read More