StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Letter From Birmingham Jail - Literature review Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "The Letter From Birmingham Jail" states that 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…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.9% of users find it useful
The Letter From Birmingham Jail
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Letter From Birmingham Jail"

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
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Rhetorical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/english/1485865-rhetorical-analysis-of-letter-from-birmingham-jail
(Rhetorical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay)
https://studentshare.org/english/1485865-rhetorical-analysis-of-letter-from-birmingham-jail.
“Rhetorical Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/english/1485865-rhetorical-analysis-of-letter-from-birmingham-jail.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Letter From Birmingham Jail

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

The Letter From Birmingham Jail refers to an open letter composed by Martin Luther King, an American civil rights leader.... Martin Luther King wrote the letter from a town jail in Birmingham, Alabama.... the letter was written on April 16th, 1963.... King gave bits and pieces of the letter to his attorneys to take back to movement's head office, where Reverend Walker started putting together and editing the legendary jigsaw puzzle....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail

In The Letter From Birmingham Jail the author did his best to prove the right of his people to organize civil non-violent actions of protest, as they were prohibited in the city of Birmingham at those times.... Martin Luther King's letter from birmingham jail is one of the most prominent documents of the epoch when the active fight for the anti segregation laws and practices took place.... The author of the letter, Martin Luther King Jr.... In the contemporary society where segregation according to various tokens, beginning from race and ending with sexual orientation or religious affiliation is still a vital problem, his ideas are very valuable....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Anti-Slavery Movement of the Early Twentieth Century

Three such famous works are the “letter from birmingham jail”, “The Ballot or the Bullet”, and “Race and Identity in America” by Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Glenn C.... In the first place, there is an interesting comparison between the “letter from birmingham jail” and “The Ballot or the Bullet” in terms of the underlying beliefs that drive the movement led by the two different leaders of the time.... letter from birmingham jail by Martin Luther King is a response to the charges against his non-violent movement or retaliation....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

What Is Mean to Be a Vegetarian

For instance, The Letter From Birmingham Jail was written with the negative information already on hand for Mr.... Aside from that, vegetarians also manage to contribute towards the betterment of our environment and the advocating of animal rights through the promotion of humane treatment of animals....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

This paper highlights the ethos, pathos, and logos in the “letter from birmingham jail”.... As he writes this letter from birmingham jail, Martin Luther find is necessary to react to a public statement made by his fellow eight white religious leaders.... Letter from a Birmingham Jail" Introduction As he writes this letter from birmingham jail, Martin Luther find is necessary to react to a public ment made by his fellow eight white religious leaders....
2 Pages (500 words) Assignment

Rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King's letter from Birmingham Jail

Also known as The Negro is Your Brother and Letter from Birmingham City Jail, The Letter From Birmingham Jail is an open letter that Martin Luther King Jr.... King also defends the use of nonviolent resistance to racism, on the account that people have moral authority and The success of The Letter From Birmingham Jail is underscored by it becoming a key text for the United States civil rights movement of the 1960s.... (January 15, 1929- April 4, 1968) was a civil rights activist, American… In the letter, King defends the use of non-violent resistance to racial segregation and discrimination....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Letter From Birmingham Jail

His letter was a Analysis of letter from birmingham jail Martin Luther King Jr.... Eight White Religious Leaders, and the "letter from birmingham jail.... s ‘letter from birmingham jail.... letter from birmingham jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation.... Letter from the birmingham jail.... the letter introduction sets an acknowledgement tone rather than attack.... Immediately after he addresses the core reason for the letter, he goes ahead to address the clergymen, to counteract their claims and arguments in a logical manner (Birt, pg....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

A comparison of Dr. Martin Luther King Jrs Speeches

The “letter from birmingham jail” has some of the same styles, but it is much more concerned with the substance of his ideas and the detail of his tactics as the leader of a political movement.... This is where is inspiration derives from.... The following paper highlights that Martin Luther King Jr....
5 Pages (1250 words) Term Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us