An Analysis of Nonviolent Resistance

An Analysis of “Nonviolent Resistance” The “Nonviolent Resistance” written by Martin Luther King Jr. shows the three ways people use to deal with oppression. The first one is acquiescence, which merely increases the oppressor’s contempt. The second way is violence, which merely creates new and more problems. And the third way is nonviolent resistance, which is the way to guide Negro to harmonic race relations. Because nonviolent resistance reconciles the acquiescence and violence, it makes Negro remain in South and struggle for both rights and equality, it helps Negro to achieve the goal of integration, it mitigates the fears of the white and it reaches people more than the law. Finally, nonviolent resistance is worthy of being sacrificed anything. King’s article is effectively done by using logic, rhetorical device, and emotional approach to strongly support his argument that nonviolent resistance is the way to achieve integration, racial justice and harmonic race relations. In the first place, the author uses logic to persuade the audience to accept his point of view. He doesn’t directly tell audience which is the way they should take. He says, “One way is acquiescence”, “A second way that oppressed people sometimes deal with oppression is to resort to physical violence and corroding hatred”, and “ The third way open to oppressed people in their quest for freedom is the way of nonviolent resistance” (King, 510-1). He also put reasons to show why people should choose nonviolent resistance as the final way of achieving integration. It’s a very useful way to persuade audience and make audience easy to accept his idea. People usually don’t follow one’s ideas different from theirs, but logic is a persuasive way to help people change. In the second place, the author uses rhetorical device to support his argument. He puts allusions in his article to make connection with audience and thus it becomes a approach to convince everyone of his

Cited: Lewis, James G. “King, Martin Luther, Jr.” Introduction. Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History. By James G Lewis. Ed. James G Lewis. 2005 ed. 1081. EBSCO. Rider Univ, 2005. Web. 14 Feb. 2010. .