Creating Tension In Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail
Creating Tension, peacefully
In April of 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King was thrown into jail for standing up for the unjust segregation laws that were in place at that time. It was during the time he was condemned to jail that he wrote a letter, which is known today as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In this letter, King respectfully expresses his thoughts on the segregation laws that prevented African Americans equal rights. Throughout the letter he graciously disagrees with other’s degrading opinions, and continues to stand for what is right regardless of the consequences. Leading with love and respect for others, he created tension peacefully. King clearly illustrates his points by including three critical rhetorical appeals -ethos, logos, and pathos.
To start off the letter, King establishes his ethos or credibility to the audience. Bring to light the details about the author, such as his social background or ethnicity, allows the audience to connect with the speaker on a deeper level because the audience feels like they have a personal connection with the speaker. This is crucial for the readers to understand the real reason as to why he was in Birmingham, a city in which he did not live in. Establishing his credibility immediately in …show more content…
These defiant actions created tension, but still maintained King’s core principles of being peaceful. But for those who were angry and didn’t understand why African Americans were deliberately committing illegal acts, King not only explains his plan, but continues to dig deeper by answering a question that was asked by many during that time: “Why direct action, why sit-ins, marches and so forth?” (King 2). This shows that people that King wants to help bring clarification that his actions were logistical and justifiable, and that he was not making rash decisions without just
In April of 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King was thrown into jail for standing up for the unjust segregation laws that were in place at that time. It was during the time he was condemned to jail that he wrote a letter, which is known today as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In this letter, King respectfully expresses his thoughts on the segregation laws that prevented African Americans equal rights. Throughout the letter he graciously disagrees with other’s degrading opinions, and continues to stand for what is right regardless of the consequences. Leading with love and respect for others, he created tension peacefully. King clearly illustrates his points by including three critical rhetorical appeals -ethos, logos, and pathos.
To start off the letter, King establishes his ethos or credibility to the audience. Bring to light the details about the author, such as his social background or ethnicity, allows the audience to connect with the speaker on a deeper level because the audience feels like they have a personal connection with the speaker. This is crucial for the readers to understand the real reason as to why he was in Birmingham, a city in which he did not live in. Establishing his credibility immediately in …show more content…
These defiant actions created tension, but still maintained King’s core principles of being peaceful. But for those who were angry and didn’t understand why African Americans were deliberately committing illegal acts, King not only explains his plan, but continues to dig deeper by answering a question that was asked by many during that time: “Why direct action, why sit-ins, marches and so forth?” (King 2). This shows that people that King wants to help bring clarification that his actions were logistical and justifiable, and that he was not making rash decisions without just