Rhetorical Analysis Of Letter From A Birmingham Jail

â€Å"Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly† wrote Martin Luther King, Jr. in his â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail.† At the time, King, being the president of the Southern Leadership Conference, was an influential leader in the Civil Rights Movement and was imprisoned for holding a nonviolent protest in Birmingham, Alabama. On April 16, 1963, from his jail cell, King wrote this famous and lengthy letter, which was a response to a statement issued by eight white clergymen. Although the letter was directed towards these clergymen and represented his rebuttal, King’s letter had a much greater audience, which was all of those who were exposed to his powerful words. His letter spoke of many controversial issues involving racism at the†¦show more content†¦He is not simply a hypocrite who wished to complain about all that is being done wrong; he is speaking as one who truly has a care and concern for the church and is involved in it. Further more, King portrays his use of ethos when he expresses, â€Å"We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom.† The majority of Americans will respond greatly to this statement because of how proud they are of America’s freedom, and it will appeal to their pride. Altogether, King builds trust in his readers and continually convinces them of his worthiness to speak on behalf of this issue because of the ethos he intermingled throughout his letter. Not only does King use ethos to make his letter compelling, but he also uses logos. By appealing to the logical side of a person, King strengthens his argument. With this in mind, one can see why he states numerous questions throughout his letter; it is an attempt to get the reader to logically think about what he is proposing. In particular, King proclaims, â€Å"In your statement you asserted that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because the y precipitate violence. But can this assertion be logically made? Isn’t this like condemning the robbed man because his possession of money precipitatedShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1052 Words   |  5 Pagesracial discrimination is? A Rhetorical Analysis of Letter From Birmingham Jail It is known to all that Martin Luther King is a famous person in America, who strongly goes against the racial discrimination all the time. Here, in this letter, Letter from Birmingham Jail, it is easy for us to realize that racial discrimination appears and the non-violence action is still serious at that time. As a matter of fact, this letter is coming from the people in the Birmingham jail, stating their inner thoughtsRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Letter from Birmingham Jail1517 Words   |  7 PagesDevin Ponder Eng291-001 13 September 2013 Rhetorical Analysis Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† by Martin Luther King, Jr., is a letter in which King is writing to his â€Å"fellow clergymen† in a response to their recent criticism of the actions he was leading in Birmingham at the time. The letter was written in April of 1963, a time when segregation was essentially at a peak in the south. Birmingham, in particular, is described by King as â€Å"probablyRead MoreSummary and Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†1708 Words   |  7 PagesSummary and Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested on April 12, 1963, in Birmingham, for protesting without a permit. The same day that King was arrested, a letter was written and signed by eight clergymen from Birmingham and titled â€Å"A Call for Unity†. The letter called for ending demonstrations and civil activities and indicated King as an â€Å"outsider†. On April 16, 1963, King responded to their letter with his own call, which has come toRead Moreâ€Å"Letters from a Birmingham Jail† Analysis of the Rhetorical Appeals1182 Words   |  5 Pagesthis when he wrote an open letter while in his jail cell after a peaceful debate against segregation. His lettered response was guided at a statement by eight white Alabama clergymen saying that segregation should be fought in court and not on the streets. King uses a combination of three rhetorical appeals to accomplish his rhetor; ethical, logical and emotional. The three appeals used together successfully persuade t he audience to believe King’s argument. The rhetorical trinity consists of threeRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1665 Words   |  7 PagesMartin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† is a great example of an effective and cleverly written response by a complex but yet sophisticated leader of our time. It was written in response to an editorial addressing the issue of Negro demonstrations and segregation in Alabama at the time. He delivers the message in a way with sneaky superiority. He is inviting and open allowing the clergymen to feel as though they have contributed and will contribute. He is not condescending or belittlingRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of The Letter From Birmingham Jail1066 Words   |  5 Pagesuphold a broader grasp of an audience that encompasses forwardness. Furthermore, the use of an Internet platform, such as Facebook, to present the â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† would have accelerated a positive outcome to the brutality of Birmingham by broadening the audience without differentiating the rhetorical situation. Subsequently, the rhetorical situation of the publication via the Internet would remain only partially similar to the original copy. The intentions or purpose of the documentRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail837 Words   |  4 PagesIn the midst of the Civil Rights movement, Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. found himself in a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama, one of the most segregated cities in the United States at the time. While in that jail cell, King wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to the city’s religious leaders. Through his use of ethos, pathos, and logos, King made a thought-provoking and powerful argument for the Civil Rights movement which continues to inspire change in the hearts of his audience, bothRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis1136 Words   |  5 PagesKing Jr.’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail, he addresses eight white clergymen who fill his desk with disagreements and criticism of his acts of attempting to abolish segregation. To give a better understanding to his audience he correlates his speech with religion, signifying himself to be similar to the Apostle Paul, while speaking up about the injustice being done in Birmingham. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks strongly about being unable to stand back and watch the disputes in Birmingham unravel.Read MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1281 Words   |  6 Pagesam in Birmingham because injustice is here† (King 1). Martin Luther King Jr. is here to solve the racists issues and he says that in this quote. The way Doctor King protests inequality in the south should be acceptable and just. However, the white churchgoers and public officials somehow find a fault in King’s actions. I believe King did a great job in attempting not to offend anyone. All he was doing was trying to be the voice African American’s needed. In â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail† KingRead MoreRhetori cal Analysis Of Letter From Birmingham Jail1178 Words   |  5 Pagesinjustice. During the 1960s when he wrote his â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, segregation was a major controversy. There was a divide between African Americans and white Americans with racism and prejudice being very prevalent throughout this era. Public places, like restaurants and bathrooms, were being split up into sections based on race. As a nonviolent protester, King frequented in silent marches through southern cities, especially Birmingham, Alabama. The goal was to act in a nonviolent