Despite his support, Martin Luthers audience is one of the largest constraints in his rhetorical situation. These purposes can be similar, or different. There are three main considerations to make while analysing a rhetorical situation: the constraints, the exigence, and the audience. While pathos elicits an emotional response from the audience to make them more accepting of Kings ideas, repetition structures the speech and emphasizes key ideas for the audience to take away from listening. He takes up for his cause in Birmingham, and his belief that nonviolent direct action is the best way to make changes happen. Analysing a rhetorical situation clarifies why a text was created, the purpose in which it was written, and why the author made specific choices while writing it. Here, King offers disparate hypotheticals to illustrate the necessity for brevity in his acts. King uses tone, literal and figurative language to establish structure and language in his letter. 'Letter from Birmingham Jail'"' is a clearly written essay that explains the reasons behind, and the methods of nonviolent civil disobedience, and gently expresses King's disappointment with those who are generally supportive of equal rights for African-Americans. Dr. King wrote, This wait has almost always meant never. This is why Dr. king addresses this matter in a letter about the battle of segregation. Martin Luther in Birmingham Jail, The Atlantic. He opens with an explanation to his response, stating, Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideasBut since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms(King 1). Kings use of pathos gives him the ability to encourage his fellow civil rights activists, evoke empathy in white conservatives, and allow the eight clergymen and the rest of his national audience to feel compassion towards the issue. Amidst the intense Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and put in solitary confinement for peacefully protesting racial discrimination and injustice in Birmingham, Alabama. Parallelism is useful to emphasize things and ideas to the audience, which, like all the other tropes and schemes. 114, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40236733. Other than the speechs heartwarming and moving content, Kings effective structure along with the usage of all three rhetorical modes and certain rhetorical tropes and schemes has revealed the reason I Have a Dream as a masterpiece of rhetoric and it persuades hundreds of thousands of people support the blacks instead of treating them. Egypt) and titles (e.g. King through this letter tries to express his, "Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail, which was written in April 16, 1963, is a passionate letter that addresses and responds to the issue and criticism that a group of white clergymen had thrown at him and his pro- black American organization about his and his organization's non- violent demonstrative actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black Americans in Birmingham. In A Letter From A Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr defends his use of nonviolent protest in order to accomplish racial equality. " Any law that uplifts human personality is just." Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Here, King concedes that the clergy acts with the virtuous goal of justice in mind, which allows him to establish his argument against the manner in which they seek equality. Within the article, the clergymen provide nine different critiques that asserted how Kings protest are invalid, uneffective, and simply unintelligent in the fight for obtaining justice and equity for individuals of color. All Both lincolns Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech are similar in that they both express the concept of freedom to achieve their purpose. Early in his speech, King writes riches of freedom and security of justice and then justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. In these two examples, King is using parallelism to express that the African American wants justice and freedom by repeating them next to each other and mentally connecting them in the readers mind, which is also connected with pathos as the terms King uses subtly emphasize those words and create good feelings in the reader. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere!" He is a firm believer that Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere (262). King's letter from Birmingham Jail addresses the American society, particularly the political and religious community of the American society. Martin Luther found himself arrested on the twelfth of April 1963 after leading a peaceful protest throughout Birmingham, Alabama after he defied a state courts injunction and led a march of black protesters without a permit, urging an Easter boycott of white-owned stores (Jr., Martin Luther King). samples are real essays written by real students who kindly donate their papers to us so that In his letter King effectively manipulates language and tone to strengthen his argument against the complaints of the clergyman and successfully address the white people. Kings decision to compare his efforts to those of biblical figures with shared intent was a deliberate attempt to find common ground with his initial readers, the eight religious Birmingham clergymen, through the faith of a shared religion. MarkAHA. In Birmingham, Alabama, in the spring of 1963, King's campaign to end segregation at lunch counters and in hiring practices drew nationwide attention when police turned dogs and fire hoses on the demonstrators. In this example, King manufactures logos through the creation of antithetic parallelism, as the structure of his essay provides justification for his argument against the postponement of justice. Lincoln states, We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. What he says means that the soldiers lost their lives to give us freedom. We will write a custom Essay on King's Allusion in "Letter From Birmingham Jail" specifically for you. King responds with complete confidence that he is in the right place at the right time, and that his actions are necessary. By stating the obvious point and implying that moderates act as though this was not true, he accuses them of both hypocrisy and injustice. Get professional help and free up your time for more important things. King was the figurehead of the Civil Rights movement, infamous for his I Have a Dream speech and substantially impactful rhetoric promoting social and political change, peaceful indignation, and calls to awareness. Dr. Kings goal of this letter was to draw attention to the injustice of segregation, and to defend his tactics for achieving justice. These "parallel" elements can be used to intensify the rhythm of language, or to draw a comparison, emphasize, or elaborate on an idea. King had been arrested while participating in a peaceful anti-segregation march although several local religious groups counted on King for support. His writing is respectful and educated, if not naturally, to invalidate the use of his race against him by the largely prejudiced audience. 100% plagiarism free, Orders: 11 Prior to the mid 20th century, social injustice, by means of the Jim Crow laws, gave way to a disparity in the treatment of minorities, especially African Americans, when compared to Caucasians. Although King was arrested for a nonviolent protest, he still found a way to justify his actions with the use of logos and pathos. While his supporters nation-wide were avid, determined, and hopeful, they were challenged by the opposing, vastly white population, comfortable in their segregated establishments and racist ideologies who would certainly weaponize his viewpoints. Good uses of similes, metaphors, and imagery will act on the reader's senses creating a false sense of perception. Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. you can use them for inspiration and simplify your student life. While his letter was only addressed to the clergymen, it is safe to assume that King had intent on the public eventually reading his letter, considering his position within the Civil Rights movement, use of persuasive rhetorical language, and hard-hitting debates on the justification of law. Additionally, personable elements such as tone, inflection, and overall vindication behind the letter are left to be determined by the rhetorical language. This letter serves as a purpose to apply the need for love and brotherhood towards one another and avoid all the unjust laws. In addressing and confronting the problem of injustices among the black Americans in the American society, particularly the violence that had happened in Birmingham, and, Martin Luther King Jr. faced many challenges during his life. During this period in the 1960s, King was disappointed by the way the white clergy was not in support of the religious civil rights movement and Kings goal of equality as a whole. King writes the letter to defend his organization's actions and the letter is also an appeal to the people, both the white and black American society, the social, political, and religious community, and the whole of American society to encourage desegregation and encourage solidarity and equality among all Americans, with no stratifications according to racial differences. King uses pathos to invoke anger, sympathy and empathy, his impeccable use of logos makes his argument rational to everyone, and his use of ethos, especially the use of biblical references, makes his opinions more reliable. While there were consistent and impactful efforts made by various groups for equality throughout the civil rights era, the proximity between the public release of the letter, found nation-wide by late 1963, and the passing of the Civil Rights Act in early July 1964 shows the direct impact the letter had on social attitudes following its publicization. King organized various non-violent demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in his arrest. The clergymen along with others are addressed in an assertive tone allowing them to fully understand why his actions are justified. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute. This evidence, revealing MLKs use of pathos, was used to reach out to the emotional citizens who have either experienced or watched police brutality. Letter from Birmingham Jail. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute, 29 May 2019, https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/letter-birmingham-jail. The amount of original essays that we did for our clients, The amount of original essays that we did for our clients. Constraints bring light to the obstacles this rhetoric may face, whether it be social, political, economical, etc. This comes to endanger our entire society. The eight clergymen in Birmingham released a public statement of caution regarding the protesters actions as unwise and untimely (King 1), to which Martins letter is a direct response. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" "United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Martin Luther utilizes powerful rhetoric to define his exigence. MLKs use of pathos and repetition is an effective way to persuade his audience about his position on civil disobedience. In the Letter from Birmingham Jail written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., King addressed the concerns of the white clergy and gave support to the direct action committed by African Americans. One of the challenges that he faced included being criticized because of what he believed in concerning the laws of segregation. King addressed these communities as the primary groups wherein racial segregation is continuously proliferated (the white American political and religious community) and points much of his arguments to and for his fellow black Americans in the society. King gives a singular, eloquent voice to a massive, jumbled movement. In his "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. presents an argument through analogy by comparing his situation to Apostle Paul. He is placing hope among the Negro community and assuring the white superiority that one day, they will share the same rights as their nation distinctively promised a hundred years earlier. Original: Apr 16, 2013. On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a famous speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and freedom, this speech was called I have a dream. This speech was focused on ending racism and equal rights for African Americans during the civil rights movement. Despite his support, Martin Luthers audience is one of the largest constraints in his rhetorical situation. Similarly, King uses pathos to trigger the emotional . Throughout the letter critics are disproved through Kings effective use of diction and selection of detail. Whether this be by newspaper, flyers, or restated by another in speech, the spread of information is slower and potentially more controllable. It elucidated the exigence behind his letter as his presented rationale behind his arrest only made unjust laws appear more asinine and questionable by relation. Lastly, the exigence of a rhetorical piece is the external issue, situation, or event in which the rhetoric is responding to. Find step-by-step Literature solutions and your answer to the following textbook question: Identify the parallel structures in the following sentence from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and explain their effect. This exigence is rhetorical because it can be improved if enough people are socially cognizant, whether that be in legislature or the streets of Birmingham, through creation and enforcement of equitable laws and social attitudes. The letter was written April third, 1963, it was published for the public in June of the same year, a slower spread than a nationwide address on television or radio. In order to properly convey his response to the questions proposed by the religious leaders of Birmingham, Dr. King uses it to draw comparisons which magnifies an idea, but it also commends one and disparages the other. Any deadline. There isn't quite as much of that in "Letter From Birmingham Jail," but it still pops up a couple of times. Since Kings arrest he had time to think deeply about the situation; therefore, he decides to reply back to the Alabama clergymen. for only $11.00 $9.35/page. Throughout the essay, King uses several powerful tones to complement his strong opinion, Martin Luther King Jrs Letter from Birmingham Jail is one his many writings on segregation and racial inequality towards blacks in the southern American states. This helps King focus on the differences between them. Throughout the text, King utilized the values of his audience to gain sympathy and later on support. 808 certified writers . Furthermore, as King attests to the significance of the Birmingham injustices, he utilizes antithesis to foster logos: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere; Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly (515). That sentence magnifies the fact that good people doing nothing is the same as bad people purposely hindering civil rights. In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. In the beginning of the speech, King goes back to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence stating that .all men, black or white, were to be granted the same rights (Declaration of Independence). While the Civil Rights movement superseded the dismantling of Jim Crow, the social ideologies and lackadaisical legislature behind anti-black prejudice continued to rack the country far into the 1960s. He wrote the letter in response to criticisms made by white clergymen. To this day, Kings speech remains one of the most famous and influential speeches in. Throughout Kings letter, he used various ways of persuasive strategies: pathos, logos, and ethos. Greater importance is placed on his tone, choice of words, choice of argument, and credibility, for better or for worse, and he must carefully make rhetorical decisions, not only because of his race. The letter is a plea to both white and black Americans to encourage desegregation and to encourage equality among all Americans, both black and white, along all social, political and religious ranks, clearly stating that there should be no levels of equality based upon racial differences., In Letter from Birmingham Jail, author Martin Luther King Jr. confirms the fact that human rights must take precedence over unjust laws. His writing is respectful and educated, if not naturally, to invalidate the use of his race against him by the largely prejudiced audience. To minimize the possibility of being deemed invalid due to his race, he must choose what he states and how he states it very precisely which correlates to the constraints Martin Luther himself has on his rhetorical situation. Therefore this makes people see racism in a whole new light; racism has not been justified because the United States have failed to uphold their promises. His Letter from Birmingham Jail was the match. He wants the clergyman to realize that what they believe and think is wrong. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust(Barnet and Bedau 742). In each writing, he uses the devices for many different purposes. The way Dr. King constructs his argument is as if he was preaching his argument to his congregation. Parallelism is a figure of speech in which two or more elements of a sentence (or series of sentences) have the same grammatical structure. He had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress (King 267). This letter occasioned his reply and caused King to write a persuasive letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail," justifying his actions and presence in Birmingham. Kings goes on to say how racial equality can not be achieved until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream (King). In sum, all rhetoric has an external situation in which it is responding to. Moreover, King juxtaposes contradictory statements to bolster the legitimacy of his argument against injustice -- in stark contrast to the racist beliefs held by the clergy -- which creates logos that he later capitalizes on to instill celerity within the audience. As mentioned before, the social and political ideologies in America surrounding racial equity at this time, specifically in Birmingham, were extremely poor.
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