It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. (c) What comparisons can you identify? He used these horrific and disheartening scenes that occurred in Birmingham to seek their empathy. Verified answer. King Jr paints a scene in which an individual would picture the situation and imagine the inhumane treatment of African Americans. The public letter as a rhetorical form: Structure, logic, and style in kings letter from Birmingham jail. In his letter, King effectively used an extended periodic sentence that consisted of more than 300 words. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, King answers some of the criticisms he had received from the clergymen in their statement, and makes the case for nonviolent action to bring about an end to racial segregation in the South. (2009). King wrote this open letter in April 1963 while he was imprisoned in the city jail in Birmingham, Alabama. There's a little bit of everything in "Letter from Birmingham Jail": Dr. King makes an appeal to his readers' hearts and heads while alluding to the moral authority of the Christian tradition, American ideals, and the collective . For example: Martin Luther King Jr.'s utilizes anaphora in his famous "Letter. He states, I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatmentif you were to watch them push and curse old Negro womenif you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them. (King Jr, 1963). Do we blame a man who is robbed because his possession of wealth led the robber to steal from him? Also, King uses his credibility as a person of a high religious standing to point out the morally inaccurate discrimination that has been directed towards King and his staff while their time in Birmingham. 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. King also alludes to the examples from many philosophers and saints, including Socrates and Aquinus. 24). King expresses his disappointment with the white church for failing to stand with him and other nonviolent activists campaigning for an end to racial segregation. King asserts that the goal of the protests is to create an atmosphere of discomfort for whites in Birmingham. King Jr. was one of the leaders of the civil rights movement known for their selfless efforts to demand equal rights in the United States (Levy, 2019). King says, I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Letter from Birmingham City Jail Latest answer posted April 21, 2021 at 10:14:06 PM What definition of "extremist" does King use when he gladly accepts the label in his Letter from Birmingham Jail? In King's letter, he uses this technique to develop tension in his argument, emotionally stimulating his audience by continually addressing the pain and the sufferings. When there is no alternative, direct action such as sit-ins and marches can create what King calls a tension which will mean that a community which previously refused to negotiate will be forced to come to the negotiating table. Throughout the large paragraph Dr. King explains why action must be done now to achieve Civil rights. 1 / 26. allegory. The next criticism which King addresses is the notion that he is an extremist. Report on the problems facing labor unions in the late 1800s. Returning to the specific list of criticisms, King now focuses on distinction between law and justice. Wrbel, S. (2015). This is important, as the white authorities have attempted to portray the protesters as extremist law-breakers. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity. The letter was written to various clergymen who previously written an open letter to disapprove the actions of SCLC (Southern Christian, In this letter Martin Luther King Jr. was responding back to rude comments that clergymen made about him and the protesting. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King incorporates biblical and historical allusions to give him credibility with his target audience, the clergymen. The anaphora "If you were to" (ll. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. While his critics have expressed concern about his behavior, King turns the tables on them and focuses on the systemic racism that white authorities have ignored for far too long. One is Christian examples: Jesus, St. Paul, and Amos, the Old Testament prophet, are all mentioned, with King drawing parallels between their actions and those of the civil rights activists participating in direct action. King presents a solid legal argument in this section, while still focusing on morality in a Christian context. Additionally, Dr. King subtly asks rhetorical questions and makes logical conclusions to force his audience to consider his strategy of nonviolent resistance to cease racism and oppression. Remember: This is just a sample from a fellow student. Dr. King went all over the south with his organization protesting nonviolently for African Americans rights. Literary Devices in King's Letter from Birmin. This tosses the ball back into the clergymens court implying that they should think about what they would have done. To illustrate the white moderate perspective. King uses anaphora in paragraphs three and four. Dr. King felt that segregation was wrong, and he refused to sit back and do nothing. But there is a bigger reason for his travelling to Birmingham: because injustice is found there, and, in a famous line, King asserts: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. The kind of direction action King and others have engaged in around Birmingham is a last resort because negotiations have broken down and promises have been broken. In paragraph 24, Dr. King Jr. names of different people who were "extremists" of the right beliefs; he said "Was not Jesus an extremist for love was not Paul an extremist for Christian gospelwas Martin Luther not an extremist" The people listed were called extremists yet they fought for justice and to stop the spread of negativity. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Martin Luther King Jrs Letter from Birmingham Jail, expressed his beliefs and his actions about the Human Rights Movement. However, the clarity with which he makes his arguments and the dedication to a single premise strikes most strongly of Kant. 100% Customized to Your Need with Expert Writers The phrase makes the audience feel sad, pitiful, and sympathize with the children and agree with King Jrs stand regarding the matter and his argument. (https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/26/article/55773/summary), Mott, W. T. (1975). GradesFixer. King Jr was also keen on depicting his stand by using anaphora to add meaning to his word and emphasis. Martin Luther King Jr. then appeals to pathos by showing the trials his people have gone through. 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 When the time came, he honoured his promise and came to Birmingham to support the action. He starts off the letter with My Dear Fellow Clergymen. 11. By describing the signs as humiliating, King calls attention to the psychological effects of segregation for African Americans. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like anaphora, antithesis, analogy and more. 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. The most evident aspect 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 cannot go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people (King Jr, 1963). Jefferson, for example, was considered an extremist for arguing, in the opening words to the Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal. 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. April 16, 1963. Martin Luther King, Walker v. City of Birmingham, and the Letter from Birmingham Jail. Letter from Birmingham Jail Summary & Analysis Next Themes Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis Martin Luther King, Jr. directs his letter to the eight white clergymen who publicly condemned his actions in Birmingham, Alabama. Carson_Walker797. Well write your essay from scratch and per instructions: even better than this sample, 100% unique, and yours only. If todays church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Some of his critics have described the protests as untimely, and suggested that the protesters wait for desegregation to happen on its own schedule. Kings use of religious knowledge gave him the tools he needed in order to not only castigate the stance of his opposition, but to show them that they lost the meaning of the religion they devoted their lives. The first two lines read, Your door is shut against my tightened face, / And I am sharp as steel with discontent. McKay uses imagery to help the reader visualize the isolation of African Americans from a society they desire to be a part of. The letter extensively uses pathos and anaphora as rhetorical devices as persuasive appeals to the audience. Just as Kants magnum opus, Critique of Pure Reason, attempted to completely upend a previously accepted mode of thought, so also was Kings work devoted to a single objective: the protection of civil disobedience as a form of protest such that the Civil Rights Movement could continue in uncompromised form. This essay has been submitted by a student. A document known as, A Letter from a Birmingham Jail., In Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail", he presents a notable and exceptional argument. He persuades the audience that he also makes the list of the extremist depending on what he will champion. The door leads to the white society but they are left out; it represents the Jim Crow laws that leaves African Americans angry and confused., People fear defying the authority even when it is for the right reasons, people like Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis fight for what they believe. Pathos, an appeal to emotion, is, Martin Luther King Jr. promotes allusion in many different paragraphs of. refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. This emotional and descriptive narrative combined with the use of the second person you have a very strong effect. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. During this time also was a incident where Rosa Parks, who was an American civilist, decided to get on a bus . Professional Writers that Guarantee an On-time Delivery. 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). There is also a sense of apprehension for the future of the church, stating that,the contemporary church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University). Devices in "Letter from Birmingham Jail". People in the church have made a variety of excuses for not supporting racial integration. Click the card to flip . Where do you want us to send this sample? King Jr. was one of the leaders of the civil rights movement known for their selfless efforts to demand equal rights in the United States (Levy, 2019). 10 terms. 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. When these leaders praise the police for preventing violence, they are only concerned about violence against white citizens. He also made them aware that adults and children alike were, King does however use a lot of one rhetoric device within his writing, which is Pathos. Throughout Kings argument, he appealed his own ethos to his opponents by saying I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth. King Jr intentionally chooses words as successive phrases and repeated clauses to emphasize his speech. languages, ditchs, quizzes, torpedoes. So instead of the view that law and justice are synonymous, Letter from Birmingham Jail is a powerful argument for obeying a higher moral law rather than manmade laws which suit those in power. This rhetorical question forces the white moderates to support Kings cause. King's primary rhetorical technique in "A Letter from Birmingham Jail," a characteristic of much of his writing, is the highly creative use of metaphorical language to make an abstract concept. A "letter from Birmingham Jail" is regarded as one of the most notable examples of rhetoric argument in American history, this letter was written by Martin Luther King in April 16 1963 as a response to "A Call for Unity" an open letter written by eight clergymen critiquing King's peaceful movement calling it "unwise and untimely." 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. We can write a 100% original text for you. Extremism doesnt have to mean one is a violent revolutionary: it can simply denote extreme views that one holds. 1 / 26. By clicking Get this sample, you agree to our. King thus emphasizes the role of action (in the form of nonviolent protest) as the only way of making change. His imagery, personal experiences, and appeals to ethos and logos throughout make a strong, well rounded argument. 2023 Feb 28 [cited 2023 May 1]. 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). King uses the example of the black nationalist parties as real extremists, especially due to their lack of Christian values. He is telling them that he has credibility on the matter of injustice, not because he is the recipient of white privilege, but because he is well researched on the subject. During a time of violence, segregation, and racism, few people had the courage to speak out against it. Oppenheimer, D. B. King believes that one of the most important roles of the Christian church is to help drive transformation, and in this way, he links his objective of racial equality with their desire to stay relevant to modern Americans. Rev., 26, 835. While in jail, King received a letter written by eight Alabama clergymen who pleaded for African Americans to stop protesting and wait for segregation to happen on its own. 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. In paragraph 24, King repeats this phrase multiple times, Was not ____ an extremist. This is both a rhetorical question and anaphora. . if you were to watch them push old Negro women and young Negro girls. Your time is important. He also paints Birmingham as an evil unjust place by saying things like I am in Birmingham because injustice is here (king 1)., The Non-Proclaimed Guilt of the White Christian Moderate King returns to his criticism of white moderates and their unwillingness to take action. As with the extremist label, Kings position here may take us by surprise, but he backs up his argument carefully and provides clear reasons for his stance. Letter from Birmingham Jail is Martin Luther Kings most famous written text, and rivals his most celebrated speech, I Have a Dream, for its political importance and rhetorical power. He does not deny that his protests are illegal, but instead calls into question the validity of the laws he has broken. Dr. King wanted to end segregation and he also wanted equal rights for everyone, but he was told by the clergyman that the movement was "unwise" and "untimely". 20 terms. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Frequently, we share staff, educational, and financial resources with our affiliates. The purpose for the introduction is to establish his credibility as a member of the United States of America. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas After all, Malcolm X became Coates favorite writer. European Journal of American Culture, 28(3), 245-262. 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. Because segregation encourages one group of people to view themselves as superior to another group, it is unjust. Term. He wanted it to make clear that he had no attentions of braking laws and they had a good reason to be protesting. Birmingham was in his interest because of the actions he has heard happening there. He contrasts his nonviolent approach with that of other African-American movements in the US, namely the black nationalist movements which view the white man as the devil. Struggling with distance learning? Throughout the whole paragraph using this kind of sentence structure and a lot of imagery the audience starts to feel what it would be like to be in Kings position and feel the pain and troubles he had to go through. King now turns to the question of law-breaking. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love (8). The emphasis throughout is non nonviolent action, or peaceful protest, which King favours rather than violent acts such as rioting (which, he points out, will alienate many Americans who might otherwise support the cause for racial integration). For instance, where we might expect him to object to being called an extremist, he embraces the label, observing that some of the most pious and peaceful figures in history have been extremists of one kind of another. The white clergymen condemned his role in the use of nonviolent resistance regarding racism issues and wanted him to use courts to push for his demands. One of these few people was Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the ways in which he spoke out was through a letter written while imprisoned. Teachers and parents! By reiterating that the only time is now, King pokes holes into the argument of the clergy, in an effort to make them understand the importance of now. Well during the midcentury, Martin Luther King wrote the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and he was criticized by many people including 8 clergymen and wanted to emphasize to the clergyman that he was never an outsider from the start. Recent flashcard sets. . to confront the audiences perception and present his evaluation. Mre precisely, however, it's effective appliance can be seen in paragraph 15. The Letter from Birmingham Jail was important in the history of the civil rights movement. King wrote this open letter in April 1963 while he was imprisoned in the city jail in Birmingham, Alabama. In his letter, Dr. King informed his readers about the protests in Birmingham. King and his followers are preparing for direct [], The Letter from Birmingham Jail played a very vital role in the civil rights movement. 403 likes. These connections help to build community with his critics: the protesters are also Americans and members of the church, and should not be viewed as enemies. His critics vehement condemnation of the protests, then, is a sign that they are, indeed, creating the pressure needed to spark change. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. The sentence has an extreme appeal to pathos, with such vivid imagery such. He responds to his audience by offering a new perspective on the term extremist. 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. 20-30 XX . Dr. King was placed in Birmingham Jail because he held a protest against racial inequalities, which at the time was unlawful. King emphasizes that the protests are a necessary action based on African Americans current social and political conditions. Whatever it was, Dr. King knew how to rhetoric the you-know-what out of speeches. According to Wrbel (2015), pathos is used as an emotional appeal that persuades the audience to evoke emotions and feelings the author wants to achieve. In this, Martin Luther King was greatly influenced by the example of Mahatma Gandhi, who had led the Indian struggle for independence earlier in the twentieth century, advocating for nonviolent resistance to British rule in India. In Henry David Thoreaus Civil [], On April 16, 1963, DR. Martin Luther King, Jr responded in the newspaper which had been written by some clergymen urging him to abandon the demonstrations which he was leading in Birmingham. . Over the course of Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963), the author, Martin Luther King Jr., makes extended allusions to multiple philosophers, among them Aquinas and Socrates. Why was the American Revolution not a common event according to John Adams? King answers each of the clergymens objections in turn, laying out his argument in calm, rational, but rhetorically brilliant prose. Incorrect email. Another way Martin Luther King Jr used his words to exploit the wrongs of the Birmingham authority, was how he used a logical approach to explaining the methods of twisting the law of the land to unlawfully arrest King and a few members of his staff. Rhetoric & Public Affairs, 7(1), 37-51. If you fit this description, you can use our free essay samples to generate ideas, get inspired and figure out a title or outline for your paper. By continuing well assume you board with our cookie policy. King begins by addressing his fellow clergymen who wrote the statement published in the newspaper. 1,342 Words The incorporation of pathos and anaphora makes the letter effective in conveying the intended message. By clicking Continue, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.
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